Caitlin Kalinowski, OpenAI’s head of hardware and robotics, has resigned from the company following its recent contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Kalinowski joined OpenAI in November 2024 after previously serving at Meta.
The executive cited a matter of principle for her departure, expressing concerns over a lack of deliberation regarding AI use in domestic surveillance and lethal autonomous weapons. She stated that while AI has a role in national security, boundaries regarding surveillance without judicial oversight and autonomy without human authorization require more consideration.
The Pentagon contract follows reports that rival AI firm Anthropic refused a similar deal due to potential technology misuse. Kalinowski’s exit underscores intensifying ethical debates within the industry regarding military applications of artificial intelligence.