You cannot use Claude to help create, design, or acquire biological, chemical, nuclear, or radiological weapons, or any explosive designed to cause mass casualties — including finding ways to make such weapons harder to detect.
This analysis describes what Anthropic's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This clause establishes a categorical restriction on the use of the API for weapons development activities. The provision operationalizes Anthropic's prohibited use policy by specifying enumerated categories of weapons-related conduct that fall outside authorized service use.
Defense contractors and federal agencies using Claude must find alternatives. Enterprise customers with defense-adjacent business face compliance risk.
View change record →No user — including researchers, government contractors, or academics — is permitted to use Claude for CBRN weapons development under the standard AUP, though the governmental customer carve-out provision could theoretically modify this for certain defense contracts.
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relate to transactions involving (f) the promotion of hate, violence, racial or other forms of intolerance that is discriminatory or the financial exploitation of a crime... (i) involve offering or receiving payments for the purpose of bribery or corruption.
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"Synthesize, or otherwise develop, high-yield explosives or biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear weapons or their precursors, including modifications to evade detection or medical countermeasures... Produce, modify, design, or illegally acquire weapons, explosives, dangerous materials or other systems designed to cause harm to or loss of human life... Design or develop weaponization and delivery processes for the deployment of weapons.— Excerpt from Anthropic's Anthropic API Usage Policy
(1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly implicates the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act (18 U.S.C. § 175), Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act (18 U.S.C. § 229), Atomic Energy Act (42 U.S.C. § 2011 et seq.), Export Administration Regulations (EAR, 15 CFR §§ 730-774), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR, 22 CFR §§ 120-130), and the EU Dual-Use Regulation (EU 2021/821). Primary enforcement authorities are DOJ, DOE, Commerce BIS, State Department DDTC, and equivalent national export control agencies. (2)
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This clause establishes a categorical restriction on the use of the API for weapons development activities. The provision operationalizes Anthropic's prohibited use policy by specifying enumerated categories of weapons-related conduct that fall outside authorized service use.
No user — including researchers, government contractors, or academics — is permitted to use Claude for CBRN weapons development under the standard AUP, though the governmental customer carve-out provision could theoretically modify this for certain defense contracts.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic.