A senior leader at OpenAI has resigned following a dispute over the company’s agreement with the US Department of Defense. Caitlin Kalinowski, OpenAI’s head of robotics, has announced her resignation after disputing the company’s recent AI contract with the Department of Defense.
Kalinowski, who joined OpenAI from Meta in 2024, declared that he made his decision based on his values. In her post on X, she warned of the potential risks associated with AI surveillance and deadly autonomous systems.
She wrote that the application of artificial intelligence to national security requires further discussion because it involves two major issues: surveillance without judicial oversight and autonomous weapons operating without human control.
The Pentagon agreement allows the U.S. Department of Defense to use OpenAI’s technology for specific purposes. However, the partnership has sparked broader debate about the boundaries of AI in military applications.
However, in response to criticism leveled at the agreement, an OpenAI spokesperson said the agreement has strict conditions. The company does not support in-home surveillance or autonomous weapons. We aim to advance the use of AI in national security in a responsible manner.
The controversy also reveals rifts between technology companies. Another AI company, Anthropic, reportedly turned down a similar defense contract due to the potential for its AI technology to be misused.
Kalinowski’s resignation may also have an impact on OpenAI’s robotics research. Over the past year, OpenAI has been expanding its robotics program with a dedicated robotics lab in San Francisco. The lab focuses on training robots to perform household tasks as part of a long-term goal to develop humanoid robots.
