US AI military deal sparks internal OpenAI revolt and 300% uninstall surge.
OpenAI’s new US AI military deal with the Pentagon has triggered a massive public and internal backlash. Since the deal was announced on February 28, 2026, ChatGPT uninstall rates have spiked by 300% as users switch to rivals like Anthropic’s Claude. Internally, senior researcher Aiden McLaughlin publicly criticized the US AI military deal, calling it “not worth it” and suggesting the company caved on safety standards to secure the Department of War contract.
- The “Lawful Use” Loophole: Critics argue the contract’s “any lawful use” clause could allow AI to be used for mass surveillance or autonomous targeting.
- Internal Dissent: Researchers Aiden McLaughlin and Noam Brown expressed concerns that OpenAI is prioritize military profits over ethical AI guardrails.
- Anthropic’s Exit: The deal was signed just hours after the US government labelled rival Anthropic a “supply chain risk” for refusing the same military terms.
- Altman’s Response: CEO Sam Altman admitted the rollout was “opportunistic and sloppy” and promised to amend the deal to clarify surveillance limits.
👉 Why it matters: The US AI military deal has broken the “neutral” image of OpenAI. If the world’s most popular AI becomes a tool for the Pentagon, public trust in AI safety and neutrality could be permanently damaged.
Note: 
Written and summarized by our editorial team using human review & a bit of AI assistance. Edited & Approved by Debraj Paul, Founder of ArticoliNews Media-Tech