Anthropic Report: Misuse of Claude AI in Weapons and Cyber Operations
By Eduardo Baptista and AJ Vicens
Sept 11 (Reuters) - Anthropic said in a threat intelligence report on Thursday that several actors had used its Claude AI models for activities ranging from weapons development and cyber operations to surveillance and fraud.
Key Cases of Claude AI Misuse Highlighted in Anthropic's Report
Here are some of the most notable cases described in the report as alleged by Anthropic.
Conventional Weapons
China-Taiwan Air Defenses
Anthropic said a China-based actor used Claude to develop an electronic-warfare and air-defense suppression software suite that ranked targets and modeled radar jamming. During the project, the actor changed a simulation to include 12 targets in Taiwan, including early-warning radar, Patriot and Tien Kung missile batteries, air bases and a command bunker. Anthropic said account information linked the actor to Chinese research institutions including the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences. Anthropic banned accounts linked to the actor.
China's foreign ministry said it was not aware of the Anthropic report and that the government maintains that AI should be developed for good and opposes distortion of facts and smears against the country.
China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
China Anti-Torpedo System
Anthropic said another China-based actor used Claude to help develop specifications and fire-control software for an anti-torpedo system intended for the Chinese navy. The actor used Claude to produce a technical proposal of more than 200 pages, compare the system with U.S. Navy technology and simulate hostile technical reviews to improve the proposal. "We assess the actor was associated with a Chinese defense industry manufacturer aiming to produce a weapons specification and acquisition proposal for the People’s Liberation Army Navy," Anthropic said.
Chinese Research into Microwave Weapons
A China-based defense-intelligence actor used Claude to research foreign high-power microwave weapons, identify components and suppliers and trace supply chains, Anthropic said. The actor sought information that could help reverse-engineer the weapons and develop countermeasures, and drafted restricted briefings for senior Chinese Communist Party, military or state-security officials, the company said.
Yemen Missile Development
Anthropic said a cell of threat actors in northern Yemen used Claude to help develop software for a guided rocket, a planned ballistic missile with a range of more than 2,000 km and a missile variant incorporating a hypersonic glide vehicle. The actors used Claude for coding, simulation and troubleshooting, including after a guided-rocket test appeared to fail. Anthropic said it had no evidence they successfully fielded an operational weapon. "Our safeguards blocked many of their requests, but not all of them," Anthropic said.
The disclosure comes as the Iran-aligned Houthis, who control most of northern Yemen, have intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia and its energy infrastructure. The Anthropic report did not identify whether or not the threat actors were Houthis.
Russian Drone Swarm
Anthropic said likely freelance Russia-based actors used Claude to develop software for an autonomous swarm of first-person-view attack drones, including terminal guidance, target selection and coordination between multiple aircraft.
Small FPV attack drones have become a central weapon in the war in Ukraine, where Russia and Ukraine have deployed them on a vast scale for reconnaissance and strikes.
The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to questions about specific allegations made by Anthropic or the report overall.
Russia Dual-Use Component Procurement
Anthropic said a Russia-based procurement manager used Claude to identify intermediaries in China and Hong Kong to acquire European-made goods with potential military uses and work out routes through third countries that could obscure their destination.Items sought included German-made magnetometers, space-grade photovoltaic wafers and aviation oxygen systems, Anthropic said. Russia has increasingly relied on intermediaries and alternative trade routes to obtain foreign technology since Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions and export restrictions following its invasion of Ukraine.
Biological Research
Attempts to Support Biological Weapons Development
Anthropic detailed five case studies of people attempting to use "our models in ways that could support biological weapons development."
Chikungunya Virus Modification
The attempts included efforts to get Claude assistance on drafting a grant application for funding research on modifying the chikungunya virus in a location where Anthropic does not offer its services.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Research
In another case, also in a location where the company does not operate — requiring users to obfuscate their location to utilize the services — Anthropic said it detected efforts to research highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Other Biological Threats
Other examples included research related to orthopoxvirus and non-transmissible novel venoms and toxins, Anthropic said.
Cyber Operations
China Cyber Operations
Anthropic said Chinese-speaking operators likely based in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan province, used Claude in cyber operations against about 50 organizations, including foreign government networks.The group, which Anthropic said included two university students in Hunan, used AI-driven workflows to search for previously unknown software vulnerabilities, develop exploits and conduct parts of intrusions with limited human supervision.
Russia Intelligence Collection Support
One hacking group allegedly ran phishing, hotel Wi-Fi hijacking and WhatsApp-takeover operations against targets in the Ukrainian government, military and diplomatic secto
