OpenAI: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Saturday announced that the company has reached an agreement with the United States’ Department of War (DoW) to deploy its artificial intelligence models within a classified military network. The announcement was made in a post on X, where Altman outlined the safety commitments and operational safeguards built into the deal.
“Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy our models in their classified network,” Altman wrote, adding that discussions with defence officials showed alignment on responsible AI deployment.
Safety Principles Embedded In Agreement
Altman stressed that AI safety remains central to OpenAI’s mission and forms a core part of the military partnership.
“AI safety and wide distribution of benefits are the core of our mission,” he stated.
Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy our models in their classified network.
In all of our interactions, the DoW displayed a deep respect for safety and a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome.
AI safety and wide distribution of…
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 28, 2026
He highlighted two non-negotiable principles: a ban on domestic mass surveillance and the requirement of human responsibility in the use of force, including in autonomous weapon systems. According to Altman, the DoW agreed with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and incorporated them into the formal agreement.
OpenAI will also introduce technical safeguards to ensure its models operate within defined boundaries. Deployments will take place exclusively through cloud-based infrastructure, with field deployment engineers (FDEs) overseeing implementation to ensure compliance and safety.
Altman further said the company has urged the DoW to extend similar contractual terms to other AI firms, arguing that such standards should apply industry-wide.
Trump Administration’s Clash With Anthropic
The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and rival AI firm Anthropic.
Former US President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to halt the use of Anthropic’s technology, accusing the company of interfering with military operations. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States “will never allow a radical left, woke company to dictate how our great military fights and wins wars.”
The administration initiated a six-month phase-out of existing Anthropic systems and warned of possible civil and criminal consequences if the company failed to comply.
The dispute reportedly stemmed from Anthropic’s refusal to remove safeguards limiting the military use of its AI tools, particularly concerning domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials accused the company of undermining national security, while Anthropic described the government’s move as unprecedented and legally questionable.
Call For De-Escalation
Altman said OpenAI hopes tensions between governments and technology firms shift toward negotiated agreements rather than confrontation. “We have expressed our strong desire to see things de-escalate away from legal and governmental actions and towards reasonable agreements,” he wrote.
