“I’d Rather Go to Jail”: Inside Sam Altman’s High-Stakes Push to Rework an AI Deal with the DoW

OpenAI revised its agreement with the Department of Defense (DoW) to explicitly prohibit the use of its AI for tracking Americans, even with bought data, aligning with the Fourth Amendment. CEO Sam Altman stated he would choose jail over following an unconstitutional order, following initial backlash over vague surveillance and weapon rules in the hastily released Friday agreement. This controversy occurred after the government banned rival Anthropic over security concerns, a move Altman opposed, advocating for Anthropic to receive similar terms. The original OpenAI deal, worth up to $200 million, was criticized for potentially allowing wide data scoops under the vague term "any lawful use." In response to critics like Gary Marcus, Altman emphasized OpenAI's commitment to safety principles, including retaining discretion over its safety stack and maintaining human oversight, while also stressing the need for global education and government collaboration on AI governance.

(Source：The Daily Glitch)