OpenAI strikes deal with Pentagon following Claude blacklisting — Anthropic to challenge supply chain risk designation in court
Source: Tom’s Hardware
Image credit: Getty Images / Bloomberg
OpenAI’s Deal with the Pentagon
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced late Friday night that the company had reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense (rebranded as the Department of War) to deploy its AI models on the Pentagon’s classified network. The deal includes the same two safety conditions that led to Anthropic’s effective blacklisting:
- No domestic mass surveillance – see the related discussion on Anthropic’s stance.
- Human oversight of decisions involving lethal force and autonomous weapons.
Altman’s announcement came shortly after President Trump ordered every federal agency to stop using Anthropic’s technology, following tense negotiations that collapsed when the DoD labeled Anthropic a supply‑chain risk and demanded that its Claude model be available for “all lawful purposes.” Anthropic refused, and hours later the Pentagon accepted functionally identical conditions from OpenAI.
“Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War 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.” – Sam Altman, February 28 2026 Twitter
It is understood that no formal contract has been signed yet, and the agreement limits OpenAI’s deployment to cloud environments, not edge systems such as aircraft or drones.
Anthropic’s Response and Legal Challenge
Anthropic argued that existing law has not kept pace with AI capabilities, especially regarding the aggregation of publicly available data for surveillance. Altman indicated that OpenAI shares Anthropic’s “red lines” and aims to help “de‑escalate” the situation.
By Friday afternoon, Altman held a company‑wide all‑hands meeting, telling employees the deal was taking shape. Around 70 OpenAI employees have signed an open letter titled “We Will Not Be Divided,” expressing solidarity with Anthropic.
Anthropic was the first AI lab to deploy its models on the Pentagon’s classified networks through a partnership with Palantir. OpenAI previously held a $200 million DoD contract for non‑classified use cases. On Friday, Anthropic announced it will challenge the supply‑chain risk designation in court, stating that “no amount of intimidation or punishment from the Department of War will change our position.”
Contextual Links
- Altman’s original announcement: Twitter post
- Anthropic’s stance on mass surveillance: Tom’s Hardware article
- Trump’s order to stop using Anthropic’s technology: Tom’s Hardware article