OpenAI secures Pentagon deal hours after Anthropic ban

WEB DESK: OpenAI has announced a landmark agreement with the Pentagon for its artificial intelligence tools to be used within the military’s classified systems. This happened just hours after the Trump administration ordered all federal agencies to cease using rival company Anthropic’s AI products.

The deal, confirmed late Friday by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, includes safeguards seemingly similar to those requested by Anthropic, which had been negotiating limits on autonomous weapons and the use of AI for mass surveillance.

Altman emphasised two core safety principles: a prohibition on domestic mass surveillance and human oversight over any use of force, including autonomous weapon systems. “The Department of War agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement,” he said on X. He added that OpenAI would deploy engineers to the Pentagon to ensure the models operate safely.

AI tensions rise between OpenAI and Anthropic

Anthropic has announced plans to legally challenge the government’s “supply chain risk” designation, arguing that the label typically reserved for firms linked to foreign adversaries is unjustified. The designation could require contractors to prove their work does not involve Anthropic products.

Despite apparent similarities between OpenAI’s agreement and Anthropic’s requested restrictions, the specific differences remain unclear. The Pentagon and OpenAI have yet to provide detailed clarifications.

Pentagon officials, including Under Secretary for Technology Emil Michael, have expressed optimism about the partnership. Michael posted on X that “having a reliable and steady partner that engages in good faith makes all the difference as we enter into the AI Age.”