title: Anthropic to Pentagon: Autonomous weapons could hurt US troops and civilians
author: u/Marginallyhuman
contenttype: redditpost
publication: r/technology
published: 2026-02-27T16:46:31+00:00
sourceurl: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1rgbuf9/anthropictopentagonautonomousweaponscould/
word_count: 351
Link: https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/27/anthropicpentagonresponse/?td=rt-3a
Score: 5970 | Comments: 290 | Subreddit: r/technology
Top Comments
u/Evernight2025 (1053 pts):
That's a risk they're willing to take
u/lectroid (639 pts):
Pentagon to Anthropic: That’s the fucking point!
u/EllisDee3 (114 pts):
By clicking 'next' you agree to end all life on Earth.
(next)
Are you sure you want to end all life on Earth? Click 'back' to reconsider.
(next)
I'm serious. This is a bad idea. Please do not click 'next'.
(next) (next) (next).....
u/underthec (83 pts):
We are not far off from having a mass casualty event happening because of this shit. Something like a commercial plane getting shot down or a missile hitting an American city. "Oops, the AI made a mistake." I hope I'm wrong about this.
u/primum (301 pts):
It's crazy to realize some people watched terminator and were rooting for skynet.
u/pupil (55 pts):
Just put a little “Claude may make mistakes” sticker on the larger ordinance, easy fix.
u/Arkeband (90 pts):
they’re literally shooting at their own drones already, they probably think this is a non-issue
u/Phixionion (39 pts):
They want automation to help the 1% stay and hold control. This is a feature. Not a bug.
u/NomosAlpha (30 pts):
Please please please let the self aware defence AI realise that the scum who put profit over everything else are the actual threat.
It’ll be like terminator but just for the 1% and it’d be so funny when they realise their AI is woke lefty and socialist with access to their hunter killers.
Edit - if anyone wants to write this screenplay I have ideas.
u/StereoJungleChild (29 pts):
"Is there any way we could automate fratricide?" -- some drunk in charge of the Pentagon
u/NotAlwaysGifs (17 pts):
Autonomous weapons WILL hurt US troops and civilians. This is not a matter of if, but when.
u/meguminsupremacy (14 pts):
I mean, yeah, they use them to kill the troops first, then the citizens. This was always the plan.
u/Voodoo_Masta (14 pts):
US gov to Anthropic: Yes, and are there any downsides?
u/Violet-Journey (11 pts):
Pentagon: We already said we’re in, you don’t have to keep selling it to us.
u/rabbitt450 (10 pts):
Imagine if just Trump controlled an autonomous army. No leadership or soldier conscience to worry about. No second thoughts about hurting civilians. He just says go and they do whatever is on his mind. That's a scary thought. On that reason alone we should never create this.
u/Piltonbadger (9 pts):
Pentagon : That sounds like an everyone else problem to me.
u/ConsciousSpirit397 (11 pts):
The whole point is they want a machine that won’t question their orders or disobey when they tell it to kill American citizens
u/gwarrior5 (8 pts):
They know; once they get voter rolls they will have the machines liquidate non-GOP voters.
u/buddinggardener1 (8 pts):
Pentagon to anthropic: "yeah we know lmao"
u/NoHamster7128 (6 pts):
Arguing with the same people shooting down government drones. With military lasers.
Those guys aren't listening.
u/Rawrnerdrage (5 pts):
"It might hurt civilians."
Kegsbreath jizzed his pants again.
u/isitatomic (6 pts):
"... wait say that again" said the fascists as they creamed their pants