OpenAI, which drew criticism for signing a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense allowing unrestricted military use of artificial intelligence, has agreed to revise the agreement.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, announced on X (formerly Twitter) on January 2 (local time): "We are working with the Department of Defense to add contract provisions to clarify our principles. We will include a ban on mass surveillance."
Altman stated that language will be added specifying that "AI systems shall not be used for domestic surveillance of U.S. residents or citizens under relevant laws including the Fourth Amendment, the National Security Act of 1947, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978." He also confirmed that "intelligence agencies under the Department of Defense, such as the National Security Agency (NSA), cannot use OpenAI services."
"The Department of Defense understands that intentional tracking, surveillance, and monitoring of U.S. residents or citizens is restricted," Altman continued. "Protecting the freedoms of Americans is important, and given the significant attention on this matter, we wanted to make this clear."
Altman also expressed regret over the hasty announcement of the Pentagon contract. "We should not have rushed to announce this on January 27," he said. "This issue is very complex and required clear communication. In hindsight, I think we appeared opportunistic and careless."
OpenAI faced criticism for signing the Pentagon contract while rival Anthropic was embroiled in a dispute with the Donald Trump administration. The Department of Defense had been using Anthropic's AI model "Claude" but publicly criticized the company after it rejected demands for unrestricted military use.
On January 27, President Trump posted on Truth Social: "I am directing all agencies of the U.S. federal government to immediately cease using Anthropic technology. We don't need it, we don't want it, and we will never do business with them again."