Sam Altman is facing backlash online after announcing that OpenAI has reached a deal with the US Department of War (DoW) to deploy its AI models within the authority’s classified network, a move that has raised concerns around mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.The controversy erupted amid a rift between the US government and rival artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, whose chief executive, Dario Amodei, recently rejected similar cooperation terms, citing security red lines.
The deal with the War Department
In a post onHe added: “AI safety and broad benefit sharing are at the core of our mission. Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human accountability for the use of force, including autonomous weapons systems. The War Department agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we include them in our agreement.”Altman further said that OpenAI would create “technical safeguards” to ensure models behave properly, deploy field deployment engineers (FDE) for monitoring, and restrict systems to cloud networks.However, a community note attached to his post claimed that government officials contradicted Altman’s assurances, stating that OpenAI models could be used for “all legal purposes.” Critics argue that under certain interpretations of post-9/11 laws, including provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, such language could potentially allow for mass data collection in specific scenarios.
Anthropic’s refusal and Trump’s ban
This comes days after Anthropic took a public stance against providing its Claude AI models for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance of US citizens.In a blog post, the company reiterated two non-negotiable red lines: no use in autonomous weapons systems and no participation in national mass surveillance programs.The denial drew harsh criticism from US officials. President donald trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology “immediately,” raising tensions between Silicon Valley and Washington.U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sharply criticized the company in a strongly worded statement: “This week, Anthropic provided a master class in arrogance and betrayal… Our position has never wavered and never will waver: the War Department must have full and unfettered access to Anthropic’s models for every LEGAL purpose in defense of the Republic.”He added: “Anthropic’s stance is fundamentally incompatible with American principles.” Hegseth further ordered the War Department to designate Anthropic as a “national security supply chain risk,” prohibiting contractors from engaging commercially with the company, while allowing for a six-month transition period.
Sam Altman faces backlash online
The backlash against Altman was swift and intense, particularly on Reddit and X, with users accusing OpenAI of compromising the principles Anthropic chose to uphold.One user wrote: “I just canceled ChatGPT and bought Claude Pro Max.”Another said: “Sam Altman is a traitor, a liar and an incredible traitor. While your competitor takes a heroic and principled stance, you rush to close the deal. Imagine working for this guy – is there any greater shame?”A third post said: “We have been warning for years that this is where AI was leading: mass surveillance, automated bombings, imprisonment of freethinkers. It is urgent that we collectively boycott OpenAI and ChatGPT.”“This should lead to a mass exodus from OpenAI. One defends the God-given rights of the American people. The other surrenders to tyrants.” wrote another.The episode has deepened divisions within the AI industry, with some leaders backing the administration’s push for broader deployment of AI in defense environments while others insist on stricter security measures.