Washington, United States. Google has signed a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to use its artificial intelligence models for classified work, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Agreement and scope
The agreement allows the Pentagon to use Google’s AI for “any lawful government purpose”, The Information reported, placing Google alongside OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI, which also have deals to supply AI models for classified use.
Classified networks are used to handle sensitive work, including mission planning and weapons targeting.
Pentagon contracts with AI labs
The Pentagon signed agreements worth up to $200 million each with major AI labs in 2025, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.
The report said the Pentagon is seeking to preserve flexibility in defense and not be limited by warnings from the technology’s creators against powering weapons with unreliable AI.
Safety settings and usage language
Google’s agreement requires it to help adjust the company’s AI safety settings and filters at the government’s request, according to the report.
The contract includes language stating that “the parties agree that the AI System is not intended for, and should not be used for, domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons (including target selection) without appropriate human oversight and control”, the report said. It also adds that the “Agreement does not confer any right to control or veto lawful Government operational decision-making”.
Verification and responses
Reuters said it could not verify the report. Alphabet and the U.S. Department of Defense, which Reuters reported has been renamed the Department of War by President Donald Trump, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for Google Public Sector told The Information that the new agreement is an amendment to its existing contract.
Previous reporting
Reuters previously reported that the Pentagon had been pushing top AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic to make their tools available on classified networks without the standard restrictions they apply to users.
What do you think are the key issues raised by making AI tools available on classified networks?
