The report explains that employees from rival AI labs signed an open letter supporting the company Anthropic in its dispute with the Pentagon. The signatories included researchers and engineers from organizations such as OpenAI and Google DeepMind, though they signed in a personal capacity, not as official company positions. 

Anthropic is in a standoff with the U.S. Department of War over its request for unrestricted access to the company’s AI technology. In response, over 300 Google and 60 OpenAI employees signed an open letter urging their companies to support Anthropic’s stance against the use of AI for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The letter calls for unity among tech leaders to uphold these boundaries. While company leaders have not formally responded, informal statements indicate sympathy towards Anthropic’s position. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reiterated the company’s refusal to comply with military demands, citing contradictions in the Pentagon’s threats

A philosophical question?

If a tool can alter the balance of war and governance itself, who is the rightful steward of that tool — the philosopher, the engineer, or the sovereign?