OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has accepted that the AI startup should’ve taken more time before reaching an agreement with the US Department of Defense for a deal on AI usage. OpenAI had initially announced a deal with the Pentagon just a few hours after Anthropic lost its contract, which led to massive backlash online.
On X, Altman revealed that OpenAI has updated its contract with the Pentagon to ensure that its “principles” are clear.
Why did OpenAI sign a deal with Pentagon?
Sam Altman stated that the real intention for rushing to a deal with the Pentagon was to ensure that things don’t escalate further between the US Defense Department and the AI industry. Anthropic’s contract with the Pentagon was terminated after the AI company refused to remove its safeguards for unrestricted AI use.
Though, Altman accepted that the entire situation did end up looking “opportunistic and sloppy” for OpenAI. Altman insisted that he will take this experience into account in the future. He said, “Good learning experience for me as we face higher-stakes decisions in the future.” Previously, Altman had accepted that the optics of OpenAI’s agreement with the Pentagon did not look good.
The OpenAI boss stated that Anthropic should not be labelled a “supply chain risk” by the US government. He added, “We hope the DoW offers them the same terms we’ve agreed to.”
ChatGPT uninstalls surge as people switch to Claude
Following OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon, users in the US began uninstalling ChatGPT. As per Sensor Tower, uninstalls for ChatGPT increased by 295 per cent day-to-day on February 28. On the other hand, Anthropic’s Claude chatbot saw an increase in downloads by up to 51 per cent. Claude even hit the number 1 spot on the Apple App Store in the US.
Pop star Katy Perry also shared a screenshot of Claude with a heart on X, signalling her support for Anthropic’s refusal to accept the Pentagon’s demands.
What has OpenAI changed?
Sam Altman shared an internal memo, stating that OpenAI’s systems cannot be used for mass domestic surveillance on US nationals based on laws including the “Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, National Security Act of 1947, FISA Act of 1978.”
The OpenAI chief added, “The Department understands this limitation to prohibit deliberate tracking, surveillance, or monitoring of U.S. persons or nationals.” Altman emphasised the importance of protecting civil liberties and noted the focus on commercially acquired information.
Another addition to the agreement is that no intelligence agency, such as the National Security Agency (NSA), of the US Department of Defense will use OpenAI’s systems. He added, “Any services to those agencies would require a follow-on modification to our contract.”
While Altman did not explicitly mention autonomous weapons in this addition, he explained, “There are many things the technology just isn’t ready for, and many areas we don’t yet understand the tradeoffs required for safety.”
The OpenAI CEO also added that he would not accept any unconstitutional order by the US Department of Defense over its AI systems, even if that led him to prison.
