OpenAI to amend Pentagon contract after surveillance backlash

OpenAI said it is amending its contract with the Pentagon after public concerns that the deal could enable government mass surveillance. CEO Sam Altman posted an internal memo on X saying the company is working with the Pentagon to "make some additions in our agreement." Altman said the amendment will add language that, consistent with applicable laws including the Fourth Amendment, the National Security Act of 1947, and the FISA Act of 1978, "the AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of US persons and nationals." He added that the Department affirmed services will not be used by Department of War intelligence agencies (for example, the NSA) without a follow-on modification to the contract.

The agreement, reached on Friday to deploy OpenAI models on classified military networks, came amid a standoff between the Pentagon and Anthropic and a day before the US struck Iran.

United States

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