White House to Accelerate AI for National Security, Bans Use for Illegal Surveillance
The White House announced it will accelerate the development and application of artificial intelligence (AI) for national security, emphasizing that AI must not be used for illegal surveillance or censorship of free speech. President Trump signed a national security memorandum, ordering the Secretary of Defense to update directives on autonomous weapons systems within 90 days and requiring major AI developers to voluntarily submit powerful models for government security testing before public release. The move follows a conflict between AI lab Anthropic and the Pentagon.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 6, 2026 at 11:33
- 🔍 Collected: June 6, 2026 at 11:42 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 15:25 (3h 43m after Collected)
(Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday it will accelerate the development and use of artificial intelligence for national security, stressing that the technology should not be used for illegal surveillance.
According to Reuters, amid rising concerns in Washington about the safety of powerful new AI systems, the Trump administration earlier this week said it would ask major AI developers to voluntarily submit their most powerful models to the government for security testing before public release.
President Trump said in a national security memorandum: "Under my administration, the United States can and will responsibly accelerate the application of AI in intelligence and combat operations, in accordance with American values."
Trump said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has 90 days to update existing directives on weapons system autonomy "to ensure the prudent adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command."
Trump added that national security agencies should not develop or use AI technology to "censor free speech... or conduct unauthorized or illegal surveillance activities."
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote on social media that the memorandum "accelerates the adoption of AI from multiple vendors to prevent single points of failure, updates the Department of Defense's guidance on autonomous weapons systems to keep pace with cutting-edge developments, and ensures that no entity can disable or degrade the AI systems our warfighters rely on without prior approval."
The memorandum was issued after a conflict between AI lab Anthropic and the Pentagon.
In March, the Pentagon formally placed Anthropic on a supply chain risk list because Anthropic refused to withdraw its prohibition on using Claude artificial intelligence for autonomous weapons and mass U.S. surveillance. The Pentagon said the Department of Defense should be able to use the technology as needed, as long as it complies with U.S. law.
Reuters reported that the Pentagon had previously relied on Anthropic to support military operations, including in Iran. The Trump administration's designation of the U.S. tech company as a supply chain risk is an extremely rare public rebuke.
According to Reuters, amid rising concerns in Washington about the safety of powerful new AI systems, the Trump administration earlier this week said it would ask major AI developers to voluntarily submit their most powerful models to the government for security testing before public release.
President Trump said in a national security memorandum: "Under my administration, the United States can and will responsibly accelerate the application of AI in intelligence and combat operations, in accordance with American values."
Trump said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has 90 days to update existing directives on weapons system autonomy "to ensure the prudent adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command."
Trump added that national security agencies should not develop or use AI technology to "censor free speech... or conduct unauthorized or illegal surveillance activities."
Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote on social media that the memorandum "accelerates the adoption of AI from multiple vendors to prevent single points of failure, updates the Department of Defense's guidance on autonomous weapons systems to keep pace with cutting-edge developments, and ensures that no entity can disable or degrade the AI systems our warfighters rely on without prior approval."
The memorandum was issued after a conflict between AI lab Anthropic and the Pentagon.
In March, the Pentagon formally placed Anthropic on a supply chain risk list because Anthropic refused to withdraw its prohibition on using Claude artificial intelligence for autonomous weapons and mass U.S. surveillance. The Pentagon said the Department of Defense should be able to use the technology as needed, as long as it complies with U.S. law.
Reuters reported that the Pentagon had previously relied on Anthropic to support military operations, including in Iran. The Trump administration's designation of the U.S. tech company as a supply chain risk is an extremely rare public rebuke.