"OpenAI triggered widespread backlash when it signed a contract with the Pentagon on Friday, hours after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to halt use of Anthropic's Claude. The negotiation between the Pentagon and Anthropic had broken down because the OpenAI rival sought contractual guarantees against mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons, its CEO said in a statement."
"OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted an internal memo to X on Monday and said the company is revising its contract with the Pentagon to add explicit protections, including a prohibition on surveilling US persons and nationals and a bar on use by intelligence agencies such as the NSA without a separate contract modification."
"The backlash against OpenAI sparked a wave of support for Anthropic, including Katy Perry, who publicly endorsed and subscribed to Claude AI. Calls to abandon ChatGPT in favor of Claude spread rapidly across social media, and the momentum showed up in the download charts. Claude shot to No. 1 in the App Store on February 28, up from sixth place."
OpenAI signed a Pentagon contract that triggered significant backlash from protesters and the public. The deal sparked controversy because Anthropic, OpenAI's competitor, had rejected similar Pentagon negotiations, seeking contractual protections against mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Between 40 and 50 protesters gathered at OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters as part of the QuitGPT movement, expressing varied concerns beyond the Pentagon deal. The backlash boosted Anthropic's Claude AI to the top of app store charts, with public figures like Katy Perry endorsing the alternative. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the rushed rollout and announced contract revisions adding explicit protections against surveillance and restrictions on intelligence agency use.
#pentagon-contract-controversy #ai-ethics-and-surveillance #openai-backlash #autonomous-weapons-concerns #tech-industry-accountability
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