OpenAI's robotics hardware lead resigns following deal with the Department of Defense
Source: Engadget
Resignation Announcement
OpenAI’s robotics hardware lead, Caitlin Kalinowski, announced her resignation on X, criticizing the company’s rapid partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) without establishing proper guardrails. Kalinowski, who joined OpenAI from Meta in late 2024, wrote:
“Surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.”
In a follow‑up post she added that the DoD announcement was “rushed without the guardrails defined,” describing it as a “governance concern first and foremost.”
OpenAI’s Response
OpenAI confirmed Kalinowski’s resignation to Engadget and issued a statement acknowledging that people hold “strong views” about the issues raised. The company emphasized that it does not support the concerns she highlighted and reiterated its stance on the DoD agreement:
“We believe our agreement with the Pentagon creates a workable path for responsible national‑security uses of AI while making clear our red lines: no domestic surveillance and no autonomous weapons.”
OpenAI also noted that there are currently no plans to replace Kalinowski.
Context
Kalinowski’s departure is the most high‑profile fallout from OpenAI’s decision to sign a deal with the DoD. The move came shortly after Anthropic declined to lift certain AI guardrails related to mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. Despite the controversy, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said he will amend the DoD agreement to prohibit spying on Americans.
Correction
March 8 2026, 10:30 AM ET: The story has been updated to correct Kalinowski’s role at OpenAI to “robotics hardware lead” rather than “head of robotics.”
Original article published on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-robotics-hardware-lead-resigns-following-deal-with-the-department-of-defense-195918599.html?src=rss