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By Anna Commander
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed an "agreement" with the Department of Defense (DOD) on Friday to deploy the company's models in the department's "classified network."
This comes after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to start phasing out the use of Anthropic’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Trump’s comments came as his administration moves to phase out Anthropic’s AI technology across federal agencies, sharpening tensions between the White House and parts of the AI industry.
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Why It Matters
The announcement places OpenAI at the center of a growing dispute over how artificial intelligence should be used by the U.S. military, particularly as the Trump administration moves to restrict federal use of rival AI systems.
A more comprehensive debate on the role of AI in national security comprises the core of the clash, including concerns over using it during instances of lethal force and pertaining to sensitive government data and surveillance.
On Friday, Trump ripped into Anthropic in a post to Truth Social, saying in part: "The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY."
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What To Know
Altman said OpenAI has reached an agreement with the DOD to deploy its models on the department’s classified network, describing the partnership as grounded in shared safety principles.
He said the deal includes prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance, maintains human responsibility for the use of force, and incorporates technical safeguards, cloud-only deployment, and forward‑deployed engineers.
Altman added that OpenAI wants the same terms offered to other AI companies and said the firm hopes tensions over AI use in government can de‑escalate through negotiated agreements rather than legal action.
Altman framed the agreement as a safety‑focused partnership, saying the terms were designed to align with existing law and policy governing military use of emerging technologies.
What People Are Saying
In the lengthy post on X, Altman said, "Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War [previously Department of Defense] 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 benefits are the core of our mission. Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems.
"The DoW agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement. We also will build technical safeguards to ensure our models behave as they should, which the DoW also wanted. We will deploy FDEs [Forward Deployed Engineers] to help with our models and to ensure their safety, we will deploy on cloud networks only.
"We are asking the DoW to offer these same terms to all AI companies, which in our opinion we think everyone should be willing to accept. We have expressed our strong desire to see things de-escalate away from legal and governmental actions and towards reasonable agreements. We remain committed to serve all of humanity as best we can. The world is a complicated, messy, and sometimes dangerous place."
What Happens Next
The agreement sets the stage for OpenAI to begin deploying its models within the Defense Department’s classified network under the outlined safety terms.
Altman said OpenAI is urging the department to extend the same conditions to other AI companies, a move that could shape how artificial intelligence is adopted across the military.
The deal comes as the Trump administration continues to phase out Anthropic’s technology, keeping the broader debate over AI and national security in focus.
Update 02/28/26, 02:33 a.m. ET. This article has been updated with additional information.
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