OpenAI hardware head resigns over ethical concerns on US Defense Department partnership

Caitlin Kalinowski, head of OpenAI’s hardware team, resigned following the company’s new agreement with the United States Department of Defense. In a social media post, Kalinowski emphasized that her resignation was based on principle rather than personal conflict, expressing concern over potential uses of AI technology for surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and for autonomous lethal systems without human authorization. She highlighted that the announcement of the partnership was rushed and lacked clear governance frameworks. Prior to joining OpenAI in 2024, Kalinowski worked at Meta Platforms leading augmented reality hardware development. OpenAI clarified that its agreement with the Defense Department enforces three strict red lines: no mass domestic surveillance, no use in autonomous weapons, and no high-stakes automated decision-making. This deal followed a failed negotiation between Anthropic, a rival AI company, and the Pentagon, due to disagreements over safety safeguards. OpenAI insists that the partnership allows responsible use of AI for national security while maintaining these ethical boundaries. Kalinowski’s resignation reflects ongoing concerns in the tech community about the ethical deployment of AI in military applications.