To 'cool' down things between Anthropic and Pentagon so that .. ., says OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in AMA on why the company closed the deal same day Pentagon banned Anthropic
Times of India
by TOI TECH DESKMarch 3, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that the company's decision to enter a deal with the Pentagon was rushed but deemed necessary to de-escalate tensions between the U.S. military and rival AI firm Anthropic. The agreement, announced last week, allows OpenAI’s models to be used in classified military networks just hours after Anthropic rejected a similar deal and faced pushback from the Trump administration. Altman acknowledged during an AMA on X (formerly Twitter) that the optics of the deal were poor but emphasized that OpenAI acted quickly to prevent a broader confrontation that could have harmed the AI industry.
The decision sparked significant backlash, including protests outside OpenAI’s San Francisco offices and graffiti condemning the move. Many employees expressed concern over the potential for military misuse of AI, echoing Anthropic’s stance against Pentagon terms. Altman criticized the Pentagon’s designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk, calling it “a very bad decision” he hopes will be reversed. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining a constructive relationship between governments and AI companies to ensure responsible development and deployment.
OpenAI argued that its deal with the Pentagon includes safeguards, such as legal protections under U.S. laws and technical measures like classifiers to block harmful prompts. However, legal experts raised doubts about the durability of these safeguards, noting that Pentagon policies can change at will. Critics also questioned how OpenAI defines “mass surveillance,” pointing out that U.S. intelligence agencies already purchase commercial datasets for monitoring purposes.
Altman’s broader concern—over who should control AI usage—underscores the ethical dilemmas surrounding military AI. He expressed fears of a world where either AI companies or governments wield unchecked power, whether through corporate dominance or normalized mass surveillance. This raises critical questions about the balance between innovation and regulation in the AI industry.
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Originally published on Times of India on 3/3/2026