OpenAI's secret deal with the US Department of War, users boycott it saying it will cancel ChatGPT

 OpenAI's secret deal with the US Department of War, users boycott it saying it will cancel ChatGPT

A controversial deal between ChatGPT maker OpenAI and the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) to use its technology has caused a stir among AI users around the world. With this deal, trends like 'Cancel ChatGPT' and 'QuitGPT' have started on social media, and thousands of users have started canceling their subscriptions.

The root of this controversy is linked to OpenAI's rival company Anthropic. Some time ago, Anthropic rejected a $200 million contract with the Pentagon. According to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, the company did not want to allow its AI to be used for mass surveillance or to create autonomous weapons.

In return, the US government blacklisted Anthropic as a supply-chain risk to national security. President Donald Trump has called Anthropic a radical left-wing AI company and ordered government agencies to stop using it. At the same time, OpenAI has been criticized by users for “trading ethics” after it joined forces with the Pentagon.

After the criticism intensified, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defended the deal on his blog and on social media. He claimed that OpenAI’s deal had stricter security rules (guardrails) than Anthropic’s.

According to Altman, the deal has three main “red lines” or boundaries. First, OpenAI’s technology will not be used for mass domestic surveillance. Second, its use to operate automated weapons systems is prohibited. And third, it will not be used for high-risk automated decision-making processes such as “social credit scores.”

OpenAI has released the language of the deal on its blog, saying that it will be deployed “cloud-only.” This means that it will not be directly connected to weapons. OpenAI’s own technical experts will also sit with the Pentagon to monitor compliance with these rules.

Meanwhile, President Trump has changed the second official name of the Department of Defense to the ‘Department of War’ through an executive order. Trump claims that this name change will send a message of victory.

User Outrage, Cancel ChatGPT Campaign

Thousands of users on platforms like Reddit and X are criticizing OpenAI, saying, “You are now training a war machine.” Many are posting evidence that they have canceled their ChatGPT Plus subscriptions that they have been using for three years.

Users are particularly concerned that the Pentagon has demanded the right to use AI for all legal purposes, as well as the possibility of future surveillance or attacks. In response, many users are now gravitating to Anthropic’s cloud, which has risen to the top of the cloud app store, according to Bloomberg.

Although OpenAI says that cooperation with the government is necessary, it seems that its commercial reputation will be damaged. According to TechCrunch, dozens of the company’s own employees have also signed an open letter supporting Anthropic’s stance, calling for a halt to the military misuse of AI.

While OpenAI is bolstering its finances with a new $50 billion investment deal with Amazon, it is also at risk of losing user trust. The incident is seen as a conflict between ethics and national security in the AI ​​space.