OpenAI has secured a deal allowing the Pentagon to use its AI models on classified networks. The agreement came hours after President Donald Trump blacklisted rival Anthropic over national security concerns.
Trump ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s Claude models. He accused the company of endangering security after it refused unconditional military access. Anthropic said it would sue, arguing its safeguards bar mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the Pentagon deal, stressing built-in “technical safeguards.” He said the agreement bans domestic mass surveillance and requires human oversight in lethal decisions. The Department of Defense has not issued detailed terms.
The Pentagon had warned Anthropic it could invoke the Defense Production Act. Officials also moved to label the firm a supply chain risk. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Anthropic of undermining military operations.
Top Democrat Hakeem Jeffries backed Anthropic’s stance, calling mass surveillance unacceptable. Hundreds of AI workers from Google DeepMind and OpenAI signed a letter urging unity against the Pentagon’s demands.
The dispute underscores deep tensions over AI’s expanding role in national defense and civil liberties.
