OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman has publicly stated that his company moved too quickly on a recent agreement with the United States Department of War, announcing revisions to address concerns about surveillance and intelligence agency use designed to cool off the criticism he is taking from leftists.
CNBC reports that Sam Altman claimed Monday that OpenAI “shouldn’t have rushed” its recent contract with the U.S. Department of War, describing the deal as “looking opportunistic and sloppy.” The CEO shared what he characterized as a repost of an internal memo on social media platform X, detailing amendments to the agreement that include new language addressing the company’s principles on surveillance and other sensitive applications.
The revised contract now includes explicit wording stating that the AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons. Additional clarification specifies that the Department of War understands the limitation to prohibit deliberate tracking, surveillance, or monitoring of U.S. persons or nationals, including through the procurement or use of commercially acquired personal or identifiable information.
The timing of the original announcement sparked significant controversy. OpenAI revealed its Defense War deal on Friday, the same day President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to stop using competitor Anthropic’s AI tools. The announcement came just hours before Washington conducted military strikes on Iran, leading to widespread criticism that the company was capitalizing on a rival’s misfortune.
According to Altman, the War Department has also confirmed that OpenAI’s tools will not be used by intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency. The CEO acknowledged limitations in the technology’s current capabilities, stating there are many things the technology is not yet ready for and many areas where the company does not yet understand the tradeoffs required for safety. Altman said OpenAI would work with the Pentagon on implementing technical safeguards.
In his public statement, Altman addressed the criticism directly. “We were genuinely trying to de-escalate things and avoid a much worse outcome, but I think it just looked opportunistic and sloppy,” he said. The acknowledgment represents a rare public admission of missteps from the OpenAI leader.
The controversy emerged against the backdrop of a dispute between Anthropic and the U.S. government. The public feud centered on safeguards for Anthropic’s Claude AI systems and ended without reaching an agreement. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday that Anthropic would be designated a supply chain threat.
OpenAI has faced a fierce backlash from leftists in the wake of the the Department of War deal. Breitbart News previously reported on the emergence of a “QuitGPT” movement urging leftists to stop using OpenAI’s platform:
Users are responding to concerns through direct action, canceling their paid ChatGPT subscriptions in what has become known as the “QuitGPT” movement. The movement is spreading rapidly across social media platforms, particularly Reddit and X, where users are documenting their cancellations and encouraging others to follow suit. This represents a direct financial impact on OpenAI, as users vote with their wallets against the company’s decision.
The actual scale of the cancellation wave remains difficult to quantify definitively. While the movement has generated significant online discussion and visibility, questions remain about whether it represents a vocal minority or reflects broader sentiment among ChatGPT’s massive user base. Many regular users may continue using the service unaware of the controversy or unconcerned about the potential implications of their data being accessible to the Department of War.
Breitbart News social media director Wynton Hall has written the definitive guide for conservatives to understand the future of AI and how we can create policies and positions on artificial intelligence that utilize its strengths without giving in to the temptation of its weaknesses. Code Red: The Left, the Right, China, and the Race to Control AI, will release on March 17, 2026, explaining the entire gamut of how AI will impact America, and why the stakes are so high.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, praised Code Red as a “must-read.” She added: “Few understand our conservative fight against Big Tech as Hall does,” making him “uniquely qualified to examine how we can best utilize AI’s enormous potential, while ensuring it does not exploit kids, creators, and conservatives.” Award-winning investigative journalist and Public founder Michael Shellenberger calls Code Red “illuminating,” ”alarming,” and describes the book as “an essential conversation-starter for those hoping to subvert Big Tech’s autocratic plans before it’s too late.”
Read more at CNBC here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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