CEO Sam Altman to OpenAI staff: You don't get a say in how the military uses our AI

2026-03-04 - 06:22

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asserted employees have no say in US military operations, even after a Pentagon deal for classified AI deployment. The move followed rival Anthropic's blacklisting, sparking internal and external criticism over timing and optics. Altman emphasized the Pentagon respects OpenAI's safety measures but retains operational control, while also acknowledging competitors might offer fewer restrictions.