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A robotics manager at OpenAI has resigned in protest over the company’s recent defense contract with the United States government, raising fresh concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in military operations and domestic surveillance.
Caitlin Kalinowski, who managed the hardware team in OpenAI’s robotics division, announced her resignation on Saturday, stating that the agreement between the artificial intelligence company and the Pentagon crossed ethical lines that required deeper consideration and stronger safeguards.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, secured a defense contract with the U.S. Department of Defense last month. The deal came just hours after rival AI firm Anthropic reportedly declined to authorize unconditional military use of its own AI systems.
Following public criticism over the agreement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman later stated on social media that the company would modify the contract to ensure its AI models would not be used for “domestic surveillance of US persons and nationals.” The move came amid concerns that the deal could grant excessive authority to military officials without adequate oversight.
In a post announcing her departure, Kalinowski emphasized that her decision was driven by principle rather than conflict with colleagues.
“I care deeply about the Robotics team and the work we built together,” she wrote. “But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.”
She further clarified that her concerns centered primarily on governance and the speed with which the agreement was announced.
“To be clear, my issue is that the announcement was rushed without the guardrails defined,” Kalinowski said in a follow-up message. “It’s a governance concern first and foremost. These are too important for deals or announcements to be rushed.”
The controversy has intensified discussions within the tech industry and government circles about the ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence, particularly when applied to military operations and surveillance.
Before joining OpenAI, Kalinowski worked at Meta, where she contributed to the development of the company’s augmented reality glasses.
The situation also highlights growing divisions among leading AI developers regarding military applications.
Anthropic’s earlier refusal to permit unrestricted military use of its Claude AI models reportedly drew criticism from some U.S. officials, illustrating the tension between national security interests and ethical AI development.
As governments worldwide increasingly seek advanced AI tools, the debate over how such technologies should be governed and whether they should be used in warfare continues to intensify.
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