OpenAI is in talks with U.S. Defense Department, but says won’t develop weapons: Report

The report comes despite the AI startup’s previous policy of not allowing its services to be used in a military facility [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS

OpenAI is in talks with the U.S. Defense Department as well as the country’s government while it works on creating tools for cybersecurity, per a Bloomberg report citing OpenAI’s Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju.

The report comes despite the AI startup’s previous policy of not allowing its services to be used in a military facility. But, Makanju, who was speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week, said that the company would not use its technology to develop weapons.

OpenAI also spoke with the government about reducing veteran suicides, Makanju said.

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There are almost no firm international laws regulating the use of artificial intelligence in the military or in conflict zones, with experts worrying that generative AI could enable the development of weapons such as autonomous killing robots.

OpenAI’s policy page earlier prohibited the use of its technology for military or warfare use cases, but multiple media outlets reported this phrase had been removed and updated to more generalised terms about not doing harm.

At WEF, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stressed on the need for a “breakthrough” in the energy sector to power the development of generative AI in the future. He also expressed his support for investments in nuclear energy.