OpenAIChatGPT maker and one of the most prominent companies artificial intelligence companies around the world, today said they have entered into a partnership with Andurila defense startup that produces missiles, drones, and software for the US military. It marks the latest in a series of similar announcements recently made by major tech companies in Silicon Valley, which are forging closer ties with the defense industry.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, said in a statement Wednesday: “OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible and supports U.S.-led efforts to ensure technology upholds democratic values.”
Brian Schimpf, co-founder and CEO of Anduril, said in the statement that OpenAI’s AI models will be used to improve systems used for air defense. “Together, we are committed to developing responsible solutions that enable military and intelligence operators to make faster, more accurate decisions in high-pressure situations,” he said.
A former OpenAI employee, who left the company earlier this year and spoke on the condition, said OpenAI’s technology will be used to “rapidly assess drone threats and more precisely, providing operators with the information they need to make better decisions while avoiding harm.” remain anonymous to protect their professional relationships.
OpenAI changed its policy on the use of AI for military applications earlier this year. A source who worked at the company at the time said some employees were unhappy with the change, but there were no public protests. US Army used some OpenAI technology, as reported by The Intercept.
Anduril is developing an advanced air defense system consisting of a swarm of small, autonomous aircraft that coordinate missions. These drones are controlled through an interface powered by a large language model, which interprets commands in natural language and translates them into instructions that can be understood by both the pilot and the drone. can all understand and implement. To date, Anduril still uses open source language models for testing purposes.
Anduril is not currently known to be using advanced AI to control its autonomous systems or enable them to make their own decisions. Such a move would be riskier, especially considering the unpredictability of today’s models.
A few years ago, many AI researchers in Silicon Valley were vehemently opposed to working with AI. army. 2018, Thousands of Google employees organized a protest about the company providing AI to the US Department of Defense through what the Pentagon then called Project Maven. Google later withdrew of the project.
