OpenAI has announced a deal with the US Department of Defense to deploy its AI models in the Pentagon’s classified network, with “safeguards” in place. This move comes after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s AI technology, citing national security concerns. The Trump administration had given Anthropic a deadline to allow unrestricted military use of its Claude models, but the company refused, citing concerns over mass surveillance and autonomous weapons systems.
Anthropic has vowed to challenge the decision in court, arguing that the designation as a “supply chain risk” is unprecedented and legally unsound. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed support for Anthropic’s stance, saying that his company shares similar concerns about AI safety and usage. The deal with OpenAI includes technical safeguards to ensure the models behave as intended, and the company will deploy engineers to the Pentagon to ensure safety.
The dispute highlights the growing tension between tech companies and the government over AI regulation and usage. While the Pentagon has said it has no interest in using AI for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons, Anthropic and other tech companies are pushing for clearer guidelines and safeguards.
