OpenAI Partners With Anduril, the Defense Company Behind AI Towers on the US-Mexico Border

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI and Anduril Industries have partnered to improve the nation’s AI-powered counter-unmanned aircraft systems.
• The ChatGPT-maker previously had guidelines banning its technology from military applications.
• Anduril Industries owns a fleet of controversial sentry towers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has partnered with defense startup Anduril Industries to develop AI-powered technology for military applications, the companies announced on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

Anduril Industries is behind the controversial sentry towers along the U.S.-Mexico border, raising possible ethical questions about OpenAI’s involvement in potentially contentious policies like immigration enforcement.

OpenAI and Anduril

The two companies have announced an alliance to support the military’s “rapidly evolving set of aerial threats from both emerging unmanned systems and legacy manned platforms that can wreak havoc, damage infrastructure, and take lives.”

OpenAI and Anduril will focus on improving the country’s counter-unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS) and their ability to “detect, assess and respond to potentially lethal aerial threats in real-time.”

The companies highlighted the partnership as a “pivotal moment” as the “accelerating race between the U.S. and China to lead the world in advancing AI” continues.

Brian Schimpf, co-founder and CEO of Anduril Industries, said:

“Our partnership with OpenAI will allow us to utilize their world-class expertise in AI to address urgent Air Defense capability gaps across the world.”

AI and the Military

The partnership signals a U-turn for OpenAI, which once prohibited its technology from being used in any military applications.

However, the ChatGPT-maker removed this from its company guidelines in January, opening the stage for military collaborations.

This partnership comes as more and more AI startups consider working with national defense despite it remaining a controversial switch for many in the tech world.

In April, Google reportedly fired 50 employees for protesting the company’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion Israeli government cloud contract working with Amazon.

Meanwhile, AI startup Anthropic also announced it was working with Amazon and Palantir to provide the Pentagon with AI algorithms.

Anduril Towers on the US-Mexico Border

Anduril Industries, co-founded by Donald Trump advocate Palmer Luckey, is responsible for the controversial fleet of sentry towers along the U.S.-Mexico border.

These AI-powered systems use cameras and AI to detect and differentiate movement from humans and animals up to 2.8km away.

However, controversy surrounding the potential for privacy violations, data collection, and the potential for AI bias has arisen around these systems.

Although OpenAI has not stated its technology will be used in these towers, the partnership could face future backlash for enabling what some see as ethically questionable uses of AI.

The ChatGPT-maker previously told The Wall Street Journal that technology developed alongside Anduril will only be used in defensive applications.

CEO Sam Altman also said the company wants to “ensure the technology upholds democratic values.”