Former Head of ‘Pentagon’s Think Tank’ Joins Anthropic

Why It Matters

Baker’s expertise brings Pentagon‑level strategic insight to Anthropic, helping the firm navigate national‑security concerns while the U.S. seeks to maintain an AI edge over China. The partnership also highlights the government’s tightening grip on powerful AI tools.

Key Takeaways

• James Baker, former ONA director, becomes Anthropic strategist-in-residence
• He will assess AI’s impact on U.S. institutions and China rivalry
• Anthropic labeled a supply‑chain risk after refusing mass‑surveillance tools
• New AI model Mythos limited to select federal agencies for vulnerability research
• ONA, the Pentagon’s think tank, was shuttered in 2025 then partially reinstated

Pulse Analysis

James Baker, who steered the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment (ONA) for a decade, has taken a new post as strategist‑in‑residence at Anthropic, the San Francisco‑based AI firm. Baker’s tenure at ONA gave him a reputation for long‑range, data‑driven forecasting of emerging technologies and their security implications. By moving into the private sector, he brings a rare blend of defense‑level foresight and corporate strategy, positioning Anthropic to navigate the increasingly fraught intersection of artificial intelligence, national policy, and geopolitical competition.

Anthropic’s relationship with the federal government has grown tense after the White House designated the company a supply‑chain risk for refusing to weaponize its models for mass surveillance. In response, Anthropic has restricted access to its latest large‑language model, Mythos, to a handful of agencies tasked with probing cyber‑security flaws. The move underscores a broader industry shift toward tighter controls on powerful AI tools, as regulators grapple with the dual promise of innovation and the danger of unintended misuse. The limited rollout also serves as a testbed for future compliance frameworks.

Baker warns that AI’s recursive self‑improvement could outpace the ability of existing institutions to adapt, creating a civilizational‑scale risk. His focus at Anthropic will be to map how rapid AI advances reshape U.S. defense posture, economic infrastructure, and the strategic balance with China. By embedding a former Pentagon futurist inside a leading AI developer, the United States gains an insider perspective that could inform policy, accelerate acquisition reforms, and help prevent a technology gap that rivals are already exploiting in conflicts such as Ukraine’s drone‑driven warfare.