OpenAI strikes a Pentagon deal for AI tools on classified military systems

OpenAI signed a deal to put its AI tools on the Pentagon's classified systems, announced by CEO Sam Altman hours after Trump ordered federal agencies to halt use of Anthropic AI.

#What happened

OpenAI has signed a deal with the Pentagon for its AI tools to be used in the military's classified systems, announced by CEO Sam Altman on Friday. The agreement reportedly includes guardrails similar to those rival Anthropic had requested, reflecting two core safety principles: prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance, and human responsibility for the use of force, including autonomous weapon systems. Altman said the Pentagon had "displayed a deep respect for safety" in the negotiations. OpenAI will also deploy technical safeguards and full-disk encryption so AI models run securely, but only on cloud networks. Source: https://bankb.it/openai-strikes-deal-with-pentagon-151943 (BankBit, via RT News).

#Why it matters

The announcement came hours after US President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to halt the use of AI systems developed by Anthropic, citing concerns over military deployment and the company's attempts to impose conditions on the Pentagon. Anthropic had previously refused the Pentagon full access to its AI systems without guarantees they would not be used for domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons targeting without human oversight; Pentagon officials viewed that as an attempt to dictate terms, and Deputy Defense Secretary Emil Michael criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Altman also voiced support for rival Anthropic and called on the Pentagon to extend the same terms to all AI companies.

Verified Oct 17, 2026. Sources: BankBit/RT News.