Department of War Signs OpenAI Safety Agreement

On Feb. 28, 2026, the Department of War agreed to a contract with OpenAI to deploy its models on a classified network, reportedly including two safety conditions similar to Anthropic's earlier red lines. The move prompted public criticism from Rep. Ted Lieu, Christopher Hale and others, while Under Secretary Emil Michael defended the agreement and its safety focus.
Key Points
- 1Agreed terms: Department of War signs two safety conditions with OpenAI similar to Anthropic's red lines.
- 2Prompted high-profile backlash from politicians and commentators over perceived inconsistency and national-security concerns.
- 3Requires practitioners to monitor DoW model deployments and reassess vendor safety claims and contractual safeguards.
Scoring Rationale
High-impact official DoW–OpenAI deal with broad policy and industry implications, limited by incomplete public contract details.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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