Pentagon approves OpenAI safety red lines after dumping Anthropic
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Pentagon has agreed to OpenAI's rules for deploying its technology safely in classified settings, though no contract has been signed, a source familiar with the talks tells Axios.
Why it matters: The Pentagon has blasted OpenAI rival Anthropic for days, contending its red lines for AI use in the military -- mass surveillance and autonomous weapons -- are philosophical and "woke."
- Now, the department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, appears to have accepted OpenAI's similar conditions.
Catch up quick: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in an overnight memo to employees, laid out his company's approach.
- OpenAI also does not approve of ChatGPT for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.
- The company wants the ability to continuously strengthen its security and monitoring systems as it learns from real-world deployments.
- The company also wants researchers with security clearances who can track how the technology is being used and advise the government on risks.
- The company also wants certain technical safeguards — including confining models to the cloud, rather than edge environments like autonomous weapons.
Between the lines: Defense officials and President Trump were irate at the idea that Anthropic — a company they perceive as leftist — and CEO Dario Amodei could have any say over how the Pentagon uses technology in its operations.
- "WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump said in a Truth Social post.
- A senior Pentagon official previously told Axios: "The problem with Dario is, with him, it's ideological. We know who we're dealing with."
What they're saying: "This is a case where it's important to me that we do the right thing, not the easy thing that looks strong but is disingenuous," Altman said in the memo.
- "But I realize it may not 'look good' for us in the short term, and that there is a lot of nuance and context," he added.
- OpenAI and Google employees have been calling on their respective company executives to stand in solidarity with Anthropic.
The bottom line: This could end up a win for OpenAI, which has managed to stay off the administration's bad side — at least politically.
