Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, has defended the company’s decision to allow ChatGPT to be deployed for classified U.S. government projects, responding to criticism over the timing and implications of the Pentagon agreement. Reports indicate Altman spoke to staff on Tuesday, acknowledging that the announcement of the deal appeared “opportunistic” and “not united with the field,” though he expressed no regret over signing the agreement itself.
The decision comes shortly after the Pentagon designated rival Anthropic as a supply chain risk, a label usually reserved for adversarial foreign entities. Altman told employees that OpenAI does not control operational decisions regarding how the Department of Defense uses its technology, emphasizing that staff members “don’t get to weigh in” on military actions where the AI is deployed. He specifically noted that personal opinions about specific operations, such as strikes in Iran or Venezuela, cannot influence OpenAI’s role.
Altman also pointed to tensions between the Pentagon and Anthropic, suggesting they stemmed from Anthropic questioning how its AI was used in operations like the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and recent strikes in Iran. By contrast, OpenAI has maintained a framework of safeguards, restricting its AI from mass domestic surveillance, autonomous weapons systems, or other high-stakes automated decision-making.
The Pentagon agreement builds on a $200 million deal signed last year that allowed OpenAI models to be used in non-classified scenarios. The new arrangement permits deployment across classified networks under the agreed-upon safety conditions. Altman warned, however, that competitors like xAI, led by Elon Musk, are expected to make fewer restrictions and comply with Pentagon requests without limitations, potentially creating competitive pressure.
“I believe we will hopefully have the best models that will encourage the government to be willing to work with us, even if our safety stack annoys them,” Altman said, highlighting the company’s emphasis on responsible AI deployment while acknowledging that other actors may take a less cautious approach. The remarks underscore ongoing debates in the AI industry about balancing safety, ethics, and military applications amid intensifying government interest in advanced artificial intelligence technologies.
