Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei accused OpenAI of dishonesty regarding its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), according to a staff memo reported by The Information.
The dispute centers on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology by the military, raising questions about ethical guidelines and corporate responsibility in defense collaborations.
Amodei stated in the memo that OpenAI’s engagement with the DoD amounted to “safety theater.” He asserted that Anthropic declined a similar deal because it prioritized preventing abuses, while OpenAI sought to placate employees.
Anthropic and the DoD did not reach an agreement last week over the military’s request for unrestricted AI access. Anthropic, which had an existing $200 million contract, required the DoD to confirm the technology would not be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weaponry.
OpenAI subsequently secured a deal with the DoD, with CEO Sam Altman stating that his company’s contract included protections against the same issues Anthropic had raised.
Amodei characterized OpenAI’s messaging as “straight up lies” and accused Altman of falsely presenting himself as a “peacemaker and dealmaker.”
Anthropic’s primary concern stemmed from the DoD’s demand for “any lawful use” of its AI. OpenAI’s blog post stated its contract allows for “all lawful purposes” and explicitly excluded mass domestic surveillance from lawful use.
Critics have noted that legal definitions are subject to change, potentially altering what is considered illegal in the future.
Public reaction has reportedly favored Anthropic, with ChatGPT uninstalls increasing by 295% after OpenAI’s DoD deal. Amodei noted that the public and media largely view OpenAI’s deal as “sketchy or suspicious.”
