Anthropic CEO accuses OpenAI of 'straight up lies' over military deal
Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei criticized OpenAI's decision to accept a Department of Defense contract, calling the company's messaging "safety theater" and "straight up lies." Anthropic had rejected the same military deal after insisting the DoD commit to restrictions on domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weaponry.
Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei expressed strong disapproval of OpenAI's military dealings in a staff memo reported by The Information. Amodei referred to OpenAI's agreement with the Department of Defense as "safety theater" and characterized the company's public statements as "straight up lies." The memo stated that OpenAI accepted the contract primarily to placate employees, whereas Anthropic prioritized preventing potential abuses.
Anthropics negotiations with the Department of Defense broke down after the company sought assurances that its AI technology would not be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weaponry. The military then established a contract with OpenAI instead. OpenAI stated that its defense contract includes protections against these same concerns and limits AI use to "all lawful purposes." Amodei disputed this characterization, arguing that the DoD's original demand for "any lawful use" contradicted OpenAI's subsequent claims about safeguards.
Public response has favored Anthropic's position. ChatGPT uninstalls increased by 295 percent following OpenAI's military agreement announcement. Amodei noted in his memo that the general public and media largely view OpenAI's deal as suspicious while viewing Anthropic favorably, with the company reaching number two position in the App Store. Amodei expressed concern about the potential impact of OpenAI's messaging on its own employees.