OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Defends Pentagon Work to Staff, Calls Backlash ‘Really Painful' (4 minute read)

Sam Altman recently told staff at an all-hands meeting that while he didn't regret signing a deal with the Department of War, he wished he hadn't announced the decision so soon as it looked opportunistic and sloppy. Altman has been widely criticized for what appeared to be capitulation to the Pentagon by essentially agreeing to a deal that allowed AI to be used in all lawful use cases. Many OpenAI employees have called for the company to sign a deal that explicitly bans the use of its technology for mass surveillance and full autonomous weapons.