Sam Altman opens up about OpenAI, Anthropic, Pentagon conflict

Sam Altman says OpenAI shares Anthropic's red lines in Pentagon fight

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has the same redlines as Anthropic when it comes to working with the Pentagon, an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

That means even if the Pentagon decides to cancel its Anthropic contract in favor of OpenAI, it’ll have to contend with the same concerns over the use of AI in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of US citizens.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in an interview with CNBC on Friday morning that it’s important for companies to work with the Pentagon, “as long as it is going to comply with legal protections” and “the few red lines” that OpenAI and many in the AI industry have when it comes to AI use in the military.

“For all the differences I have with Anthropic, I mostly trust them as a company, and I think they really do care about safety, and I’ve been happy that they’ve been supporting our war fighters,” Altman continued. “I’m not sure where this is going to go.”

Anthropic’s Claude system was the first AI model to be used for work on the military’s classified systems. But the Pentagon has given the company until 5:01pm on Friday to agree to drop its internal guardrails and allow its system to be used for “all lawful use.” If Anthropic doesn’t agree, it’ll lose a $200 million contract with the Pentagon and could be designated a “supply chain risk,” the same label given to companies connected to foreign adversaries.

Anthropic has said it wants to work with the Pentagon, but that its worries about the use of AI in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance stem from concerns the technology is still unreliable in these cases. Current laws and regulations do not properly account for advancements in AI, the company also said.

In a memo to OpenAI staff first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Altman said the company is still working toward a deal with the Pentagon for its models to be used on classified systems that he hopes will also help the resolve the outstanding issues between Anthropic and the military.