Anthropic President Questions OpenAI's Pentagon Deal Amid Rivalry

Anthropic President Daniela Amodei has voiced skepticism regarding OpenAI's decision to enter into a deal with the Pentagon following Anthropic's own refusal to compromise on military artificial intelligence restrictions. Amodei questioned whether OpenAI's move was driven by principle or opportunism, in remarks made during a joint interview with her brother, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, for Walter Isaacson's podcast "The Builders."

These comments escalate the ongoing rivalry between the two prominent AI companies. "Our view is, look, we can’t control any other companies, and the only thing that we can do is take a principled stand on the areas that felt ethically correct to us," Daniela stated, acknowledging that other companies might hold different ethical viewpoints on AI restrictions.

The exchange comes as Anthropic prepares for a potential initial public offering, having filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "ANT." The company reported revenues exceeding $16 billion with a net loss of $80.7 million in the first half of 2026, a significant improvement from the previous year's $13 billion loss. The company's prospectus also highlighted its previous conflict with the Trump administration as a business risk, noting that ongoing litigation could impact sales to government entities.

The dispute with the federal government began in February when Anthropic declined to lift restrictions on its AI models concerning mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons. Pentagon officials asserted that defense contractors must allow their technology for "all lawful uses" and should not dictate military operations. In response, then-President Trump ordered federal agencies to cease using Anthropic's products, and the Pentagon classified the company as a supply-chain risk.

Subsequently, OpenAI finalized an agreement with the Pentagon that allows for broad lawful uses of its technology while maintaining safeguards against mass domestic surveillance, autonomous weapons, and high-stakes automated decision-making. OpenAI has stated that its Pentagon agreement includes explicit restrictions barring the use of its technology for mass domestic surveillance, directing autonomous weapons systems, and making high-stakes automated decisions.

The tension between Anthropic and OpenAI predates the recent Pentagon controversy. Dario and Daniela Amodei departed OpenAI in 2021, citing disagreements over safety, corporate governance, and the company's increasing commercial focus. The rivalry intensified during the Pentagon dispute when Dario Amodei reportedly described OpenAI's account of its military deal as "straight up lies" and "safety theater" in a leaked internal message. While he later apologized for the tone, he stood by Anthropic's ethical stance.

Anthropic pursued legal action against the administration, initially securing a favorable ruling in California before a federal appeals court in Washington upheld the Pentagon's exclusion of the company. Anthropic sought a rehearing of that decision.

In broader discussions about AI's future, Dario Amodei warned about the potential threat to democracy posed by artificial intelligence, particularly concerning autonomous weapons. He posited a scenario where a single individual could command a vast army of AI-powered robots or drones, lacking the ethical constraints of human soldiers who can refuse morally questionable orders. "The prospect of ‘one person having their finger on a button that controls a million robots or a million drones’ is kind of fundamentally undermining to democracy," Dario stated.