OpenAI is considering a new contract with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, media outlets reported Tuesday after the creator of ChatGPT announced a deal with the US Department of Defense.
The Wall Street Journal first reported comments from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman that the AI startup was considering a contract to deploy on all closed NATO networks. The WSJ also reported that an OpenAI spokesperson later clarified that Altman misspoke and that the contract was for open networks.
Reuters reported that the AI startup is considering a contract to deploy its AI technology on open NATO networks.
OpenAI announced a deal last week that would allow the company's AI technology to be deployed on the Pentagon's closed network, following a major spat with competitor Anthropic, which also led Washington to label the company a "supply chain risk." Anthropic's expulsion was due to the company's refusal to allow its AI models to be used for domestic mass surveillance or to control fully autonomous lethal weapons.
A WSJ report found Altman defending OpenAI's deal with the Pentagon, with the CEO stating that while he doesn't regret signing the deal, he wished it hadn't been announced so quickly, telling employees it seemed "opportunistic."
OpenAI—backed by several tech giants, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Softbank—has faced widespread criticism over the Pentagon deal. Uninstalls of the company's flagship mobile app, ChatGPT, increased 295% compared to the previous day on Saturday, according to Sensor Tower data.
Anthropic's Claude also overtook ChatGPT to become the top app in Apple's App Store.