OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defends decision to strike Pentagon deal after Anthropic blacklisting, admits ‘optics don’t look good’

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other senior executives took to social media over the weekend to defend their decision, announced on Friday, to strike a deal with the Department of War to allow the company’s models to be used in classified military networks. The deal came hours after archrival Anthropic turned down a similar agreement with the Pentagon and the Trump administration said it was labeling Anthropic a “supply-chain risk.”

OpenAI faced vocal backlash for agreeing to the Pentagon...