While thousands of tech executives gathered this week in the cavernous halls of Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress (MWC), showcasing motorized cameras and ultra-thin folding screens that few will ever buy, Apple executed a far more consequential maneuver from the quiet of its California headquarters.

Negotiations between AI startup Anthropic and the US Department of Defense have resumed after talks collapsed last week, while a leaked internal memo criticizing OpenAI’s Pentagon agreement has raised tensions. The episode highlights growing disputes between AI developers and defense officials over how advanced models should be used in military operations.