Seven leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies, including Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, have reached agreements to integrate their technology into the Pentagon's classified computing networks, the Department of Defense announced. "We share with these strategic partnerships the belief that American leadership in AI is essential to national security," the Pentagon's statement said. The Department of Defense noted that the intention is to use this technology to analyze information and improve decision-making processes on the battlefield. The agreements came after a confrontation between the Pentagon and Anthropic, which demanded guarantees that its systems would not be used for mass surveillance or the development of autonomous weapons.