OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network • Hacker News Board

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#571

Post by remarkEon » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:20 PM UTC

retsibsi wrote: post #475

remarkEon wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems Anthropic did not understand the questions they were asked. From the WaPo: >A defense official said the Pentagon’s technology chief whittled the debate down to a life-and-death nuclear scenario at a meeting last month: If an intercontinental ballistic missile was launched at the United States, could the military use Anthropic’s Claude AI system to help shoot it down? >It’s the kind of situation where technologi…

Is there any reason at all to believe the account of the unnamed "defence official"? Whatever your position on this administration, you know that it lies like the rest of us breathe. With a denial from the other side and a lack of any actual evidence, why should I give it non-negligible credence?

Anonymous sources are bad again. Glad we could clear that up.

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#572

Post by WarmWash » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:24 PM UTC

retsibsi wrote: post #498

tedsanders wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm an OpenAI employee and I'll go out on a limb with a public comment. I agree AI shouldn't be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. I also think Anthropic has been treated terribly and has acted admirably. My understanding is that the OpenAI deal disallows domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, and that OpenAI is asking for the same terms for other AI companies (so that we can continue compe…

> My understanding is that the OpenAI deal disallows domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, In that case, what on earth just happened? The government was so intent on amending the Anthropic deal to allow 'all lawful use', at the government's sole discretion, that it is now pretty much trying to destroy Anthropic in retaliation for refusing this. Now, almost immediately, the government has entered into a d…

It looks most likely like Anthropic wanted the ability to audit model usage, where as OpenAI was fine with just an agreement.

Hegseths tweet strongly alluded to this, and the general terms of the agreement are not public, just the hot button ones.

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#573

Post by yaur » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:27 PM UTC

the_real_cher wrote: post #374

Rebuff5007 wrote: post #342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it's very hard to see how anyone could look at what just happened I think what you are missing is their annual comp with two commas in it.

This, for that check theyll be building the autonomous robots themselves, saying "theyre food delivery robots, thats not a gun that a drink dispenser!"

Back in 1960 us early detection systems mistook the moon for a massive nuclear first strike with 99.9% certainty. With a fully autonomous system the world would have burned.

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#574

Post by aoeusnth1 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:29 PM UTC

adangert wrote: post #383

Let me reiterate some points for people here: Income and revenue sources always, inevitably, and without fail, determine behavior.

I think your theory might be missing an extremely relevant and timely counterexample?

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#575

Post by fourside » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:34 PM UTC

seanclayton wrote: post #540

jakeydus wrote: post #355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A union?

Unfortunately most engineers irrationally hate unions

Unions would’ve been useful at a time CEO’s are salivating at the idea of slashing jobs and replacing SWEs with AI.

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#576

Post by motbus3 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:37 PM UTC

tedsanders wrote: post #220

Imnimo wrote: post #16

I don't see how OpenAI employees who have signed the We Will Not Be Divided letter can continue their employment there in light of this. Surely if OpenAI had insisted upon the same things that Anthropic had, the government would not have signed this agreement. The only plausible explanation is that there is an understanding that OpenAI will not, in practice, enforce the red lines.

I'm an OpenAI employee and I'll go out on a limb with a public comment. I agree AI shouldn't be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. I also think Anthropic has been treated terribly and has acted admirably. My understanding is that the OpenAI deal disallows domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, and that OpenAI is asking for the same terms for other AI companies (so that we can continue compe…

These sort of agreements are easily bypassable, especially on such tools.

Someone might just create a spawn of openai with a tag and do all the stuff there...

There is no much guarantee I think

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#577

Post by jakeydus » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC

fourside wrote: post #575

seanclayton wrote: post #540

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately most engineers irrationally hate unions

Unions would’ve been useful at a time CEO’s are salivating at the idea of slashing jobs and replacing SWEs with AI.

I think it would still be useful. Call my cynical but gone are the days where the individual comp and benefits available to SWEs outweigh the benefits of collective bargaining.

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#578

Post by retsibsi » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:44 PM UTC

WarmWash wrote: post #572

retsibsi wrote: post #498

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My understanding is that the OpenAI deal disallows domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, In that case, what on earth just happened? The government was so intent on amending the Anthropic deal to allow 'all lawful use', at the government's sole discretion, that it is now pretty much trying to destroy Anthropic in retaliation for refusing this. Now, almost immediately, the government has entered into a d…

It looks most likely like Anthropic wanted the ability to audit model usage, where as OpenAI was fine with just an agreement. Hegseths tweet strongly alluded to this, and the general terms of the agreement are not public, just the hot button ones.

Am I wrong to think that such an agreement is basically meaningless? OpenAI gets to say there are limits, the government gets to do whatever it wants, and OpenAI will be very happy not to know about it.

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#579

Post by spongebobstoes » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:46 PM UTC

mpalmer wrote: post #516

spongebobstoes wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it seems like oai deal does include the same red lines, plus some more, and the ability for oai to deploy safety systems to limit the use cases of the model via technical means this seems strictly better than what anthropic had. anthropic has ruined their relationship with the US govt, giving oai a good negotiating hand the oai folks are good at making deals, just look at all the complex funding arrangements they hav…

"OAI wins by playing the government's game" is such a catastrophically bad take. > anthropic has ruined their relationship with the US govt, giving oai a good negotiating hand You want to try defending this ridiculous statement a bit more thoroughly? For a start, the designation by the government of a company as a supply chain risk is not a negotiating tool. It may well be found to be arbitrary and capricious once th…

you're right, supply chain risk is not a negotiating tool. it's spite after talks have ended. it indicates a ruined relationship

the oai deal is similar, but it includes technical safeguards. I think anthropic would have wanted the oai deal

the deal was not only successful because the govt is rebounding. the miltary prefers boundaries to be technical, not contractual

they can try using it, and trust that it will only operate within its designed limits, where the output is reliable

technical barriers to misuse help prevent both accidental and bad-faith misuse. a contract allows both kinds of misuse, enforced only by lawsuits. filing in court to dispute the terms is not always allowed

Re: OpenAI agrees with Dept. of War to deploy models in their classified network

#580

Post by MattyRad » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 4:49 PM UTC

baconner wrote: post #235

tedsanders wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm an OpenAI employee and I'll go out on a limb with a public comment. I agree AI shouldn't be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. I also think Anthropic has been treated terribly and has acted admirably. My understanding is that the OpenAI deal disallows domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, and that OpenAI is asking for the same terms for other AI companies (so that we can continue compe…

Respectfully, it's very hard to see how anyone could look at what just happened and come to the conclusion that one company ends up classed a "supply chain risk" while another agrees the the same terms that led to that. Either the terms are looser, they're not going to be enforced, or there's another reason for the loud attempt to blacklist Anthropic. It's very difficult to see how you could take this at face value i…

Yeah, agreed. I probably wasn't going to delete my OpenAI account (ala the link that is also being upvoted on HN), it just seemed like a hassle vs ceasing to use OpenAI. But when the staff at OpenAI employ mental gymnastics, selective hearing, willful ignorance, or plain ignorance to justify compliance with manmade horrors, I think it's probably important to vote with our feet.