Anthropic co-founder and CEO Dario Amodei criticized OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman over the company’s defense contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, describing the arrangement as “safety theater” in an internal memo to employees. The remarks were reported by The Information and follow a failed negotiation between Anthropic and the Pentagon over similar access to its artificial intelligence technology.
The disagreement centers on how AI systems could be used by the military and the conditions under which companies allow access to their models.
Anthropic Declined Military Agreement Over Use Restrictions
Last week, Anthropic and the Department of Defense were unable to finalize a deal that would have expanded the military’s access to the company’s technology. Anthropic already held a $200 million contract with the military but insisted that any new agreement include written assurances.
The company asked the Defense Department to confirm that its AI systems would not be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons.
The Pentagon declined those conditions and instead reached an agreement with OpenAI. Under the Trump administration, the Department of Defense has also been referred to as the Department of War.
Amodei Accuses OpenAI Of Misrepresenting Contract
In the memo reported by The Information, Amodei criticized OpenAI’s public explanation of the agreement.
“The main reason [OpenAI] accepted [the DoD’s deal] and we did not is that they cared about placating employees, and we actually cared about preventing abuses,” Amodei wrote.
He also accused Altman of misrepresenting the situation in public statements. Amodei wrote that OpenAI’s messaging contained “straight up lies,” and said Altman was “presenting himself as a peacemaker and dealmaker.”
Disagreement Over “Lawful Use” Language
The dispute also centers on the language used in the defense contracts.
Anthropic objected to the Defense Department’s request that its technology be available for “any lawful use.” OpenAI stated in a blog post that its agreement allows the military to use its AI systems for “all lawful purposes.”
According to OpenAI, the company confirmed with the department that domestic mass surveillance is considered illegal and therefore not permitted under the contract.
“It was clear in our interaction that the DoW considers mass domestic surveillance illegal and was not planning to use it for this purpose,” OpenAI wrote. “We ensured that the fact that it is not covered under lawful use was made explicit in our contract.”
Some critics argue that legal definitions could change over time, which could alter how such provisions are interpreted in the future.
Public Reaction Reflected In App Rankings
The dispute has also played out in public reaction to the companies. Data cited in reports indicates that uninstallations of ChatGPT increased by 295 percent after OpenAI announced its defense agreement.
Amodei told employees that public perception appeared to favor Anthropic’s position.
“I think this attempted spin/gaslighting is not working very well on the general public or the media, where people mostly see OpenAI’s deal with the DoW as sketchy or suspicious, and see us as the heroes (we’re #2 in the App Store now!),” Amodei wrote.
He added that his main concern was ensuring OpenAI employees were not influenced by the company’s messaging about the agreement.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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