Caitlin Kalinowski, who had been steering the hardware side of OpenAI’s robotics program, announced her resignation on X late last week. The former Meta engineer, who joined OpenAI in late 2024, used the platform to call out the company’s hasty partnership with the Department of Defense. She warned that “surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.”
In a follow‑up post, Kalinowski said the announcement had been rushed and that the “guardrails” for such a deal were not defined, framing the issue as fundamentally about governance. OpenAI confirmed her departure and issued a statement saying it understands the strong views surrounding the topic and will keep talking with relevant parties. The company emphasized that it does not share the concerns she raised and reiterated its stance: it will not support domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons, and it sees the Pentagon agreement as a workable path for responsible national‑security uses of AI.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, has said the firm will amend the contract to explicitly prohibit spying on Americans, a move that mirrors Anthropic’s recent refusal to loosen guardrails around mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons.
In the writer’s view, the most glaring error in OpenAI’s strategy was signing a defense contract before putting any internal guardrails in place.
Kalinowski’s exit is shaping up to be the most visible fallout from the DoD deal, underscoring the tension between rapid AI deployment and the need for thoughtful oversight.
Via OpenAI’s robotics hardware lead resigns following deal with the Department of Defense
Gladstone is a tech virtuoso, boasting a dynamic 25-year journey through the digital landscape. A maestro of code, he has engineered cutting-edge software, orchestrated high-performing teams, and masterminded robust system architectures. His experience covers large-scale systems, as well as the intricacies of embedded systems and microcontrollers. A proud alumnus of a prestigious British institution, he wields a computer-science-related honours degree.