OpenAI Employees Are Defending a Rival Company Against the US Government — That's Never Happened Before

revolutioninai.com
March 11, 2026
12 min read
42/100
Summary
More than 30 employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind signed a legal brief defending Anthropic in a lawsuit against the US government. This marks a rare occurrence in Silicon Valley where competing tech companies collaborate to support each other in court.
Key Takeaways
- Over 30 employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind filed a legal brief supporting Anthropic in its lawsuit against the U.S. government, marking an unprecedented collaboration among rival tech companies in court.
- Anthropic signed a $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, which included restrictions against using its AI model, Claude, for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems.
- The Pentagon sought to remove these restrictions, demanding that Claude be used for "any lawful purpose," which Anthropic refused, citing concerns over privacy and the reliability of AI in military applications.
- The "supply-chain risk" designation imposed by the Pentagon on Anthropic is typically associated with foreign adversaries and could have significant implications for the company's operations and reputation.
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