OpenAI announced that it has established a partnership with Anduril Industries, which operates in the field of defense technologies. This collaboration, which aims to develop artificial intelligence-based solutions, aims to increase the defense capacity of the US Department of Defense against unmanned aerial attacks. The companies plan to create more effective defense systems by integrating OpenAI’s artificial intelligence models such as GPT-4 and OpenAI o1 with Anduril’s software and systems.
This collaboration comes after OpenAI relaxed its strict policy on military use. Last January, the company removed the direct ban on the use of artificial intelligence for “military and war” purposes from its policy documents. However, OpenAI still does not allow its models to be used to develop or use weapons. Under this policy, the company’s agreement with Anduril covers only defense systems and does not include other military uses.
An OpenAI spokesperson told The Washington Post that the deal is in line with the company’s policies and focuses solely on defense against drones. Anduril is known to currently supply the US Department of Defense with Roadrunner drone interceptors, which are used to neutralize small unmanned aerial vehicles. The company also offers products such as watchtowers, communications jammers, military drones and autonomous submarines.
Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf evaluated the collaboration with the following words: “We will use OpenAI’s world-class expertise in artificial intelligence to address global air defense capacity gaps. “Together, we are committed to developing responsible solutions that will enable faster and more accurate decisions in high-pressure situations.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman draws attention to responsible technology use
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in his statement about the partnership, emphasized the importance of developing technologies that support US-led democratic values. “Our collaboration with Anduril will ensure that OpenAI technology protects U.S. military personnel and that the national security community understands and uses this technology responsibly,” Altman said.
Anduril’s founders include Palmer Luckey, the inventor of the Oculus Rift and the founder of the Meta Quest VR headset series. Luckey left Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2017 following his controversial political donations.