OpenAI hardware chief Caitlin Kalinowski resigns over Pentagon AI deal with US Department of Defence

Caitlin Kalinowski, who ⁠oversaw hardware at OpenAI, announced her resignation on Saturday, citing concerns about the company’s agreement with the Department of Defence.

In a social media post on X, Ms Kalinowski wrote that OpenAI did not take enough time before agreeing ⁠to ‌deploy its AI models on the Pentagon’s ⁠classified cloud networks.

“AI has an important role in national security,” Ms Kalinowski posted.

“But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without ‌human authorisation are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.”

Reuters could not immediately reach Ms Kalinowski for comment, but she wrote on X that while she has “deep respect” for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the team, the company announced the ⁠Pentagon deal “without the guardrails defined,” she posted.

“It’s a governance concern ‌first and foremost,” Ms Kalinowski wrote in a ‌subsequent X post.

“These are too important for deals or announcements to be rushed.”

OpenAI said the day after the deal was ⁠struck that it includes additional safeguards to protect its ⁠use cases. The company on Saturday reiterated that ⁠its “red lines” preclude use of its technology in domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons.

“We recognise that people have strong views ‌about these issues and we will continue to engage in discussion with employees, government, civil society and communities around the world,” the company said in a statement to Reuters.

Ms Kalinowski joined OpenAI in 2024 after leading augmented reality ‌hardware development at Meta Platforms.