OpenAI Reaches Deal With Pentagon to Deploy AI Models on Classified Network

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the Pentagon showed ‘a deep respect for safety’ and ‘a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome.’OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during Snowflake Summit 2025 in San Francisco on June 2, 2025. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images2/27/2026|Updated: 2/27/2026OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on Feb. 27 that his company has struck a deal with the U.S. Department of War to deploy its artificial intelligence (AI) models on the Pentagon’s classified networks.In a statement on social media, Altman said the company saw that the Pentagon had demonstrated “a deep respect for safety” and “a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome” throughout their discussions on the matter.