OpenAI is reportedly evaluating a new agreement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that would allow its artificial intelligence systems to run on NATO networks, several media outlets reported on Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal initially published statements attributed to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggesting the startup was looking at a contract to deploy on all NATO classified networks. The WSJ later said an OpenAI representative clarified Altman misspoke, and that the contemplated contract would cover NATO unclassified networks rather than classified ones.
Reuters separately reported that OpenAI is considering a contract to deploy its AI technology on NATO’s unclassified networks, mirroring the clarification cited in the WSJ follow-up.
The reported NATO discussions come after OpenAI announced a separate agreement last week to deploy its technology inside the U.S. Defense Department’s classified network. That Pentagon deal followed a public split between the Defense Department and competitor Anthropic, which Washington had designated as a "supply-chain risk."
According to reporting, Anthropic’s removal from the Defense Department’s arrangements was linked to the company’s refusal to permit its AI models to be used for domestic mass surveillance or to power fully autonomous lethal weapons.
The WSJ coverage also described remarks by Altman defending OpenAI’s Pentagon agreement. The CEO reportedly said he did not regret signing the deal but expressed regret about the speed of its announcement, telling staff it appeared "opportunistic."
OpenAI, which counts major technology firms among its backers, including Microsoft, Nvidia and SoftBank, has faced considerable pushback over the Pentagon arrangement. Sensor Tower data reported that uninstalls of OpenAI’s flagship ChatGPT mobile app surged 295% day-over-day on Saturday. At the same time, Anthropic’s Claude reportedly rose to overtake ChatGPT as the top app on Apple’s App Store.
Context limitations: The reports indicate a shift from an initial suggestion of NATO classified-network deployment to an unclassified-network focus, reflecting clarifications cited by the reporting outlets. Details on contract terms, timelines, or NATO confirmation were not provided in the reporting cited.