Artificial intelligence research organization OpenAI appears to be etching closer to the military-industrial complex, according to an article by Responsible Statecraft, due to the appointment of newly retired US Army General and former National Security Agency (NSA) Director Paul M. Nakasone to its board of directors.

Nakasone was appointed to oversee the Safety and Security Committee of the organization, advising on matters and decisions concerning the company's security-related issues, evidently attempting to re-establish a safety-forward reputation amid increasing wariness of AI technology.

The military-industrial complex

With Nakasone's 38-year military career, including his five-year service heading the US Army Cyber Command, the former NSA director is bridging the worlds of military defense and intelligence and private technological institutions.

This phenomenon in Big Tech essentially creates conflicts of interest and massive contracts which, according to a report from April 2024 on the Costs of War, achieved a ceiling totaling "at least $53 billion combined" from 2019 to 2022. For example, OpenAI is currently in collaboration with the Pentagon to prevent veteran suicide with the use of cybersecurity-related tools.

An unshakeable future

OpenAI reaffirms that its technology will not be used for weapons development or deployment, despite policy changes. However, AI's rapid integration in wartime situations in Gaza and Ukraine showcases the industry players' lack of restraint. Failing to keep pace with these industrial developments could mean missing out on military contracts in a competitive and unpredictable industry.

Artificial intelligence has made various advances on the battlefield through its incorporation into military weaponry, machinery, and surveillance, through the development of AI-powered reconnaissance drones and AI-powered facial recognition technology.

The NSA is an organization that is infamous for illegally spying on American citizens, potentially contradicting OpenAI's usage policies that the company cannot “compromise the privacy of others,” including “[f]acilitating spyware, communications surveillance, or unauthorized monitoring of individuals" with the appointment of Nakasone.

“There is only one reason for appointing an [NSA] Director to your board," according to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. "This is a willful, calculated betrayal of the rights of every person on Earth.”

OpenAI has and continues to face multiple controversies, such as stealing actress Scarlett Johansson's voice for ChatGPT, the debacle regarding the firing of CEO Sam Altman, and signing restrictive non-disclosure agreements preventing former OpenAI employees from criticizing the company.

The combination of Nakasone's appointment, the company's safety controversies, and the ever-changing role of artificial intelligence in military defense and intelligence, means that OpenAI, according to Responsible Statecraft, appears to be heading towards a "treacherous, more militarized road."