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OpenAI Robotics Chief Resigns Over Pentagon AI Deal

The resignation spotlights employee unease over a Pentagon pact OpenAI says includes bans on domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.

Overview

  • Caitlin Kalinowski said she quit because the company rushed into deploying its models on classified Defense Department networks without sufficient governance or clearly defined guardrails.
  • OpenAI confirmed her departure and reiterated that its agreement includes explicit red lines prohibiting use for domestic surveillance or fully autonomous lethal systems, following recent contract revisions.
  • Consumer and reputational fallout has grown, with app analytics showing a 295% spike in ChatGPT uninstalls and Anthropic’s Claude rising to No. 1 on the U.S. App Store as employees and researchers voice concerns.
  • The Pentagon canceled Anthropic’s contract, labeled the company a supply‑chain risk after it refused terms allowing all lawful uses, and Anthropic says it will challenge the designation in court.
  • A senior Pentagon official described heavy operational dependence on Anthropic’s Claude and said the department moved to add OpenAI and other vendors on similar terms to ensure redundancy in classified workflows.