OpenAI Robotics Lead Resigns Over Pentagon Deal - ForkLog: Cryptocurrency, AI, Singularity, Future

# OpenAI Robotics Leader Resigns Over Pentagon Deal

In response to OpenAI’s controversial agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, Caitlin Kalinowski stepped down as the company’s Hardware Director.

“It was not an easy decision. Artificial intelligence plays an important role in national security. But surveillance of Americans without a court order and lethal autonomy without human approval are issues that deserve more careful attention than they are currently getting,” she wrote.

Kalinowski previously worked at Apple on Mac hardware, then moved to Meta, becoming a key engineer in the Reality Labs division. In 2024, she joined OpenAI as the head of robotics and consumer hardware.

In her statement, she emphasized that her decision was “principled, not personal,” expressing “deep respect” for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the startup team.

“In my opinion, the announcement was made hastily, without clear boundaries. This is primarily a management issue. They are too important to rush into deals,” she added.

An OpenAI spokesperson highlighted that the Pentagon agreement “creates a pathway for responsible AI use in national security, while clearly defining red lines: no internal surveillance and no autonomous weapons.”

“We understand that people have strong beliefs on these issues, and we will continue to discuss them with employees, government, and society worldwide,” he added.

The agreement between OpenAI and the Pentagon was signed in late February, shortly after negotiations between Anthropic and the Department of Defense stalled.

Soon after, Altman admitted the deal was “hasty” and, from a startup image perspective, “doesn’t look very good.”

The situation impacted the popularity of ChatGPT and Claude. The number of deletions of the first chatbot increased by 295%, while the second rose to the top of the App Store rankings.

Downloads of Claude and ChatGPT mobile apps in the USA. Source: Appfigures.## Government Crackdown on Anthropic

In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded contracts worth up to $200 million to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and xAI for AI solutions in security.

In January 2026, WSJ reported a risk of breaking the agreement with Anthropic. Disagreements arose over the startup’s strict ethical policies, which prohibit using Claude for mass surveillance and autonomous lethal operations.

In February 2026, the U.S. Army used Claude in an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, escalating the conflict.

CEO Dario Amodei met with Defense Secretary P. Hegseth to discuss the situation. The department issued an ultimatum: Anthropic must accept government conditions by February 27.

Amodei stated he would prefer not to cooperate with the Pentagon than to agree to use his company’s technology in a way that could “undermine, not protect, democratic values.”

At the end of February, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic’s technology within six months.

He called the startup an “out-of-control” company run by people who “have no idea what the real world is.”

The Pentagon officially recognized Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” — threatening the business with other government contractors. Microsoft and Google announced they would continue providing products from the company.

Legal Action Likely

Amodei stated his company will challenge in court the Department of Defense’s decision to label it a supply chain risk. He considers it “legally unfounded.”

The statement says the Pentagon’s decision does not affect the vast majority of Claude’s clients.

According to Amodei, the company had productive negotiations with the Department of Defense for several days, but they fell apart after an internal memo was leaked. In it, the CEO described OpenAI’s relations with the department as “more of a security demonstration than real risk mitigation.”

Amodei apologized for the leak, stating the company unintentionally disclosed the memo’s contents and did not instruct anyone to do so.

“It is not in our interest to worsen the situation,” he wrote.

The startup leader emphasized that the document was written within hours after announcements that Anthropic would be removed from federal systems. He apologized for the tone, calling that day “a difficult day for the company.”

Amodei added that the memo is an “outdated assessment” and does not reflect “careful and balanced opinion.” He said the company’s main priority is providing U.S. soldiers and national security experts access to essential tools during ongoing large-scale operations.

Anthropic will continue supplying the Department of Defense with its models “at nominal cost” for as long as needed.

Former White House AI advisor Dean Ball noted that the company will find it difficult to challenge the Pentagon’s decision.

“Courts are quite reluctant to question government decisions on what constitutes national security and what does not. Overcoming that high barrier is tough. But it’s not impossible,” the expert said.

Recall that in February, Anthropic eased its key security policies, citing the need to maintain competitiveness.