OpenAI Revises Military AI Deal After Public Backlash

OpenAI has pulled back on a quickly signed agreement to supply artificial intelligence tools to the U. S. Department of War, following criticism that the contract seemed rushed and risky. The company’s chief executive admitted on Monday night that the deal “looked opportunistic and sloppy, ” prompting a swift rewrite of its terms. The original contract, signed shortly after the Pentagon dropped Anthropic, raised fears that OpenAI’s technology could be used for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. In response, the company now guarantees that its systems will not be deployed for mass monitoring of U. S. citizens or by intelligence agencies such as the NSA. The controversy erupted after President Trump’s administration publicly condemned Anthropic, labeling its stance on surveillance “left‑wing” and demanding the government stop using its AI. OpenAI’s move was seen as an attempt to defuse tensions, but critics argued that the hurried nature of the agreement mirrored the same issues that had plagued Anthropic. The backlash was swift on social media, with users of X and Reddit calling for a “delete ChatGPT” campaign.Employees at OpenAI and Google—whose own AI tools have been targeted for military use—signed an open letter urging their leaders to refuse any domestic surveillance or autonomous killing requests from the Department of War. The letter, signed by 796 Google staff and 98 OpenAI employees, warned that the government was “dividing” companies to force compliance. In a blog post, OpenAI highlighted that its new deal includes more safeguards than previous agreements, insisting on a “no autonomous weapons” clause. Former policy researcher Miles Brundage questioned whether the company truly met ethical standards, suggesting that the deal may have been a political compromise. He also expressed willingness to defy orders he deemed unconstitutional, emphasizing the need for democratic oversight in AI deployment. Meanwhile, other U. S. agencies—State, Treasury, and Health & Human Services—have halted the use of Anthropic’s products after the Department of War flagged it as a supply‑chain risk. The Pentagon’s decision, backed by President Trump, has forced many federal bodies to reevaluate their AI partnerships. OpenAI’s revised contract aims to restore public trust while maintaining a role in national defense, but the debate over AI’s ethical use continues to intensify.