OpenAI partners with Anduril to supply AI to US military
What's the story
OpenAI has announced a strategic partnership with billionaire Palmer Luckey's defense start-up Anduril Industries. The collaboration aims to bolster the US military's defenses against unmanned aerial attacks.
The alliance will see OpenAI's advanced models like GPT-4o and OpenAI o1, integrated with Anduril's systems.
The announcement comes less than a year after OpenAI revised its policy on using its models for military applications.
Notably, the ChatGPT maker is the latest to work with the defense industry after Meta and Anthropic.
Policy change
Policy shift and ongoing military collaborations
In January, OpenAI had removed a clause from its policy that previously prohibited integrating its technology into "military and warfare" use.
Though it still bans using its models for weapon development or use, the change indicated a shift in the company's stance.
Notably, at the time of this policy revision, OpenAI was already collaborating with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on cybersecurity tools.
Defense focus
OpenAI-Anduril deal focuses on defense against unmanned threats
An OpenAI spokesperson told The Washington Post that the deal with Anduril falls in line with the company's rules as it focuses on systems aimed at protecting against unmanned aerial threats. The partnership does not cover other uses.
The main goal of this collaboration is to improve Anduril's tech for detecting and neutralizing drones threatening the US military and its allies.
Strategic alliance
Partnership aims to counter China's advancing AI
The OpenAI-Anduril partnership is also viewed as a strategic move to protect US military personnel and counter China's progressing AI.
Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf said, "Our partnership with OpenAI will allow us to utilize their world-class expertise in artificial intelligence to address urgent Air Defense capability gaps across the world."
He stressed their commitment toward developing responsible solutions that enable faster, more accurate decisions in high-pressure situations.
CEO statement
OpenAI's commitment to democratic values and national security
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in a statement, reiterated the company's mission to build AI that benefits as many people as possible.
He emphasized their support for US-led efforts to ensure that technology upholds democratic values.
"Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects US military personnel, and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free," Altman said.