tech
March 7, 2026
OpenAI Is Opening the Door to Government Spying
Outside OpenAI’s headquarters, a handful of people gathered on Monday holding pieces of colorful chalk. They got down on their knees and started writing messages on the sidewalk. Stand for liberty. Please no legal mass surveillance. Change the contract please.
TL;DR
- Protesters gathered outside OpenAI headquarters, expressing concerns about the company's contract with the Department of Defense (DOD).
- The contract allows OpenAI's technology to be used by the military in classified settings, potentially for wartime decisions and intelligence gathering.
- Critics and legal experts argue that the contract's language is vague and may permit mass surveillance of Americans and the use of autonomous weapons, despite OpenAI's assurances.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated there would be 'red lines' against domestic mass surveillance and autonomous lethal weapons, similar to limits Anthropic reportedly demanded.
- The contract was revised after initial public scrutiny, with OpenAI adding language aiming to prohibit intentional domestic surveillance and deliberate tracking of U.S. persons.
- Despite revisions, some experts believe the terms like 'intentionally' and 'deliberate' still provide loopholes for data collection.
- The DOD's prior blacklisting of Anthropic highlights its willingness to impose sanctions on companies that do not comply with its terms.
- OpenAI plans to implement a technical 'safety stack' and work with DOD engineers to monitor model usage and verify that 'red lines' are not crossed.
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