OpenAI agrees to provide AI models to the Pentagon with strict bans on mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, following Trump’s ban on rival Anthropic.
WASHINGTON: OpenAI has announced a deal for the Pentagon to use its artificial intelligence models within the US defence agency’s classified network. The agreement includes “technical safeguards” and explicit prohibitions against domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems.
The announcement came hours after President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using technology from AI rival Anthropic. Trump called Anthropic a threat to national security after it refused to agree to unconditional military use of its Claude models.
In a post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated the company’s safety principles were embedded into the Pentagon agreement. “Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force,” Altman wrote.
Trump had issued a forceful directive on his Truth Social platform. “I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology,” he stated.
The president warned of “major civil and criminal consequences” if Anthropic did not comply during a phase-out period. The Pentagon had earlier threatened to compel Anthropic’s compliance using the Cold War-era Defense Production Act.
Anthropic vowed to legally challenge the government’s actions, calling them “intimidation.” The company insisted its technology should not be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons.
“We will challenge any supply chain risk designation in court,” the San Francisco-based AI startup said. It argued the Pentagon’s demands set a “dangerous precedent.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticised Anthropic’s stance on social media. “Anthropic delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal,” Hegseth wrote on X.
He also directed that no Pentagon contractor or supplier may conduct commercial activity with Anthropic. The conflict drew a show of solidarity from within the AI industry.
Hundreds of employees from Google DeepMind and OpenAI signed an open letter supporting Anthropic. The letter urged company leaders to refuse the Pentagon’s demands for surveillance and autonomous killing systems.
“They’re trying to divide each company with fear that the other will give in,” the employees’ letter stated. Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries praised Anthropic for pushing back against what he called a “shocking invasion of privacy scheme.”