OpenAI announced it has secured a deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide artificial intelligence capabilities for classified military networks, following a breakdown in negotiations between the Pentagon and one of its competitors, Anthropic. The announcement was made by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, on Friday night, just hours after former President Donald Trump instructed federal agencies to halt the use of Anthropic’s technology.
Trump’s directive came after Anthropic sought guarantees that its AI system, Claude, would not be utilized for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons that operate without human oversight. In contrast, Altman emphasized that OpenAI’s agreement with the government includes explicit assurances against such uses.
“Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems,” Altman stated on social media platform X. He asserted that the Pentagon aligns with these principles, as reflected in their legal and policy frameworks, and that they have been incorporated into the agreement.
Altman expressed hope that the Pentagon would extend similar terms to all AI companies as a means to mitigate tensions between the tech industry and government. “This is no longer just an issue between Anthropic and the Pentagon; this is an issue for the whole industry and it is important to clarify our stance,” he wrote in an internal memo to OpenAI employees.
Should OpenAI’s deal indeed prevent unethical applications of its AI systems, it appears the company has managed to achieve assurances that Anthropic could not secure. The Pentagon had reportedly pressed Anthropic to ease its ethical guidelines regarding AI deployment, suggesting severe repercussions otherwise. Trump criticized Anthropic’s approach, describing it as a “DISASTROUS MISTAKE.”
In an open letter, nearly 500 employees from OpenAI and Google voiced their support for Anthropic, reaffirming a united front against the Pentagon’s strategies. The letter suggested that the government is attempting to create divisions among competitors by inducing fear that one company might acquiesce where others would not.
Altman sought to reassure OpenAI staff in his memo, reiterating the company’s long-standing position against using AI for mass surveillance or autonomous lethal weapons. He underscored the importance of retaining human oversight for critical automated decisions. “We are going to see if there is a deal with the Pentagon that allows our models to be deployed in classified environments and that fits with our principles,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Anthropic, which has positioned itself as a leader in AI safety, has been in lengthy negotiations with the Pentagon. U.S. defense officials have argued for unrestricted access to Claude’s capabilities, asserting they are vital for national security. However, Anthropic has resisted allowing its technology to be utilized for mass surveillance or in fully autonomous weapons systems.
“No amount of intimidation or punishment from the Pentagon will change our position on mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons,” Anthropic declared in a statement following the news of OpenAI’s deal.
While Anthropic has expressed willingness to support lawful uses of AI in national security, it maintains that the exceptions it outlined have not hindered any government missions to date. This backdrop of tension between the Pentagon and AI firms highlights broader ethical dilemmas facing the industry as it navigates relationships with national defense.
OpenAI also announced plans to raise $110 billion in a funding round that would value the company at an estimated $840 billion, adding another layer of complexity to its dealings with the government. As the landscape of AI deployment in national security continues to evolve, the implications of these agreements will likely resonate across the tech sector.
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