Houthis used Claude artificial intelligence to develop missiles report shows

The American software company Anthropic has disclosed that Yemen-based Houthi rebels used its artificial intelligence product Claude to help develop weapons, according to reports by the Daily Mail, Business Standard, and The Statesman. Anthropic revealed in a report that the armed group launched three weapons programmes using the company's artificial intelligence tools. The Daily Mail reported that the fighters used the system instead of weapons engineers to build rockets and ballistic missiles capable of correcting their trajectory after missing targets. [1][2][3]

The revelations follow a series of military actions in the region. According to the Daily Mail, the Houthis launched attacks on King Khalid International Airport over the weekend, killing 14 people, injuring hundreds, and forcing the airport to close. Saudi Arabia has been involved in a military intervention in Yemen since March 2015, leading a coalition against Houthi forces who took control of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in late 2014. [1][6]

Claude was first released as an artificial intelligence chatbot in March 2023 by Anthropic. The company sells software tools based on the model, including Claude Code and Claude Cowork. To manage safety, Anthropic introduced Constitutional AI in 2022, a technique that trains models using explicit principles rather than relying only on human feedback. [4][7][9]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Anthropic previously updated its usage policies to ban abusive behaviour and restrict harmful activities on its platforms. The misuse of artificial intelligence for weapons development forms part of a broader global debate regarding the safety, alignment, and societal dangers posed by the accelerated expansion of artificial intelligence technology. [5][9]