The Massachusetts senator is demanding copies of the Defense Department’s AI contracts and answers about the potential use of the technology in surveillance, targeting, and military operations.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is pressing the Department of Defense (DoD) to release the full terms of its AI contracts with major AI companies and explain how the technology may be used inside classified military systems.
In letters to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the AI frontier developers involved, Warren said the Pentagon disclosed little, other than stating that the systems may be used for any “lawful operational use.” She asked for copies of the contracts, related documents, and written responses by July 20.
The dispute centers on agreements announced by the Pentagon in May that allow the integration of commercial AI systems into classified networks. The DoD said the technology would help military personnel analyze information, improve situational awareness, and support decision-making in complex operational environments.
Warren argued that Congress and the public cannot evaluate the safeguards surrounding those systems because the AI contracts remain secret. In her letter to Hegseth, she wrote that the Pentagon has provided virtually no information on the restrictions governing the military’s use of the technology.
The senator asked whether the agreements prohibit domestic surveillance, fully autonomous weapons, or military uses with limited human oversight. She also questioned whether the DoD uses AI during target selection and how it verifies the accuracy of AI-generated recommendations.
Warren’s letter further asks whether the Pentagon uses or plans to use AI systems to analyze large datasets containing information about Americans, including commercially purchased location and personal data.
The senator also raised concerns about Anthropic’s public opposition to military uses involving mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Warren asked whether the Pentagon is using negotiations with other AI suppliers to pressure Anthropic into accepting broader terms that would permit any lawful military use.
Her letters do not claim that the new contracts authorize those activities. Instead, Warren argues that lawmakers cannot determine what safeguards exist, or how broadly the technology may be deployed, until the agreements are made public.
Warren sent a separate set of questions to the AI companies with DoD contracts, asking whether the contracts permit surveillance or the use of autonomous weapons, whether employees can intervene if military uses violate internal safety policies, and how much visibility the companies retain once their systems deploy in classified environments.
Warren asked the DoD and the companies to provide as much information as possible so Congress can determine whether additional oversight or legislation is needed.
