OpenAI Is Getting Into the Business of War

Summary

WSJ Tech News Briefing: "OpenAI Is Getting Into the Business of War"

Release Date: December 5, 2024

Host: Danny Lewis
Reporter: Deepa Sitharaman
Personal Tech Columnist: Nicole Nguyen
Producer: Julie Chang
Supervising Producer: Kathryn Millsop

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Introduction

In the December 5th episode of the WSJ Tech News Briefing, host Danny Lewis navigates listeners through a blend of everyday tech frustrations and groundbreaking industry shifts. The episode delves into the reliability of weather forecasting apps and, more notably, explores OpenAI’s newfound collaboration with the defense sector, signaling a significant pivot in Silicon Valley’s relationship with the Pentagon.

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The Trust Issues with Weather Apps

Discussion with Nicole Nguyen

Timestamp: [00:34] – [04:20]

Weather apps have become indispensable tools for planning daily activities, yet their occasional inaccuracies can be a source of frustration. Personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen unpacks the reasons behind these discrepancies and offers strategies for obtaining more reliable forecasts.

• Why Are Weather Apps Sometimes Inaccurate?

  Nicole Nguyen:
  “Weather apps use data from these publicly available models, and these models spit out a bunch of numbers, and it's up to our weather apps to simplify those numbers and turn it into an icon, say partly cloudy, rainy, et cetera. It doesn't have much nuance, so it's making its best guess. And when that guess is wrong, you are stuck in the rain, unfortunately.”
  [01:38]

• Advancements in Weather Forecasting Technology

  Nguyen highlights the evolution of weather forecasting, emphasizing the role of supercomputers in enhancing prediction accuracy over longer periods.

  “The accuracy has gone from a good forecast looking ahead three days to a good forecast looking ahead over the next seven days. I talked to a meteorologist who worked in the 70s and he said the accuracy has gone up by a day per decade.”
  [02:08] – [02:53]

• Tips for More Accurate Weather Predictions

  To combat unreliable forecasts, Nguyen suggests using multiple weather apps and leveraging tools like Forecast Advisor for location-specific accuracy rankings.

  “The trick is to look at many different apps... there is a tool called Forecast Advisor which looks at forecast accuracy for your zip code or city or state.”
  [02:59]

  Additionally, focusing on short-term forecasts and utilizing radar apps can provide more precise real-time data.

  “Instead of a seven day forecast, just look at what's happening tomorrow or within the next three days... radar maps, it becomes self evident.”
  [04:20]

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OpenAI’s Foray into Defense: Partnership with Anduril

Reporter: Deepa Sitharaman
Timestamp: [05:16] – [12:08]

The episode takes a profound turn as it examines OpenAI’s strategic move into the defense sector through a partnership with Anduril, a prominent defense startup specializing in drones and anti-drone systems. This collaboration marks a significant shift from OpenAI’s previous stance on military applications of their technology.

• Overview of the OpenAI-Anduril Deal

  Deepa Sitharaman:
  “OpenAI is allowing Anduril to use its technology in the company's defensive tools. So, like counter drones and things like that... the company subsequently confirmed that it was working with the Defense Department on a slew of different projects.”
  [05:56] – [06:43]

  The partnership aims to integrate OpenAI’s advanced AI models into Anduril’s systems to enhance the detection and neutralization of drone threats, thereby increasing operational efficiency and reducing potential casualties.

• Changing Policies on Military Use of AI

  OpenAI has progressively relaxed its restrictions on military applications, transitioning from an outright ban to selective partnerships that focus on defensive and analytical functions rather than offensive weaponization.

  “The company subsequently confirmed that it was working with the Defense Department on a slew of different projects... they have drawn a red line for now is we don't want these tools to be used to explicitly kill people.”
  [08:01]

• Broader Industry Trends and Implications

  This deal is part of a larger trend where major tech companies are forging deeper ties with the U.S. Department of Defense. Other notable collaborations include:

  • Microsoft partnering with the military on various AI projects.
  • Meta allowing the use of its AI models for defense purposes.
  • Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI executives, partnering with Palantir for military applications.

  Deepa Sitharaman:
  “All these deals are such a striking contrast from 2018... but we've seen a reengagement there too, with Google.”
  [09:35] – [11:29]

  This shift signifies a redefinition of tech companies from global enterprises to American strategic assets, integral to national security amidst growing AI competition with countries like China.

• Impact on the Tech Industry’s Identity

  The alignment with defense projects alters the perception of tech firms. CEOs are now seen not just as global leaders but as pivotal partners to the American government, embedding these companies deeper into the national security framework.

  “What is happening now is that these companies are increasingly portraying themselves as partners to the American government... that's just accelerating in this past year.”
  [11:34] – [12:08]

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Conclusion

The December 5th episode of WSJ Tech News Briefing provides a compelling juxtaposition between the mundane challenges of everyday technology and the profound strategic shifts within the tech industry. While users grapple with the reliability of weather apps, the episode underscores a significant transformation in Silicon Valley as giants like OpenAI align more closely with defense initiatives. This pivot not only redefines the role of tech companies in national security but also reflects broader geopolitical dynamics influencing technological advancements and partnerships.

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Notable Quotes:

• Nicole Nguyen on weather app inaccuracies:
  “Weather apps use data from these publicly available models... when that guess is wrong, you are stuck in the rain, unfortunately.”
  [01:38]

• Deepa Sitharaman on OpenAI’s defense collaboration:
  “OpenAI is allowing Anduril to use its technology in the company's defensive tools... the idea being that that minimizes casualties among U.S. troops.”
  [06:50] – [07:50]

• Deepa Sitharaman on industry trends:
  “What is happening now is that these companies are increasingly portraying themselves as partners to the American government... that's just accelerating in this past year.”
  [11:34] – [12:08]

---

This episode highlights the evolving landscape of technology’s role in both personal and geopolitical spheres, offering listeners insightful analysis on how daily tech tools and strategic industry partnerships shape our world.

Transcript

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[Danny Lewis]

Welcome to Tech News briefing. It's Thursday, December 5th. I'm Danny Lewis for the Wall Street Journal. Have you ever had a weather app swear it wasn't raining in the middle of a downpour? We'll find out why you can't always trust your weather app and ways to get better predictions. And then for years, many US Tech companies kept the defense industry at arm's length. Now, one of the biggest names in artificial intelligence development, OpenAI, is getting into the business of war. The ChatGPT maker has struck a deal with defense startup Anduril. Our reporter Deepa Sitharaman explains how this is the latest example of Silicon Valley's efforts to forge deeper ties with the Pentagon. But first, weather apps are a convenient way to get a glimpse at the day's forecast so you know what to wear. But they can be fickle and aren't always accurate. Our personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen dug into why this happens and how to get better weather predictions. She joins us now. Nicole, why aren't weather apps always accurate?

[Nicole Nguyen]

Weather apps use data from these publicly available models, and these models spit out a bunch of numbers, and it's up to our weather apps to simplify those numbers and turn it into an icon, say partly cloudy, rainy, et cetera. It doesn't have much nuance, so it's making its best guess. And when that guess is wrong, you are stuck in the rain, unfortunately.

[Danny Lewis]

How has weather forecasting tech changed in recent years?

[Nicole Nguyen]

The underlying models are these very complicated mathematical models that require supercomputers all around the world to crunch the numbers. And it's so intensive that some only crunch the numbers every six hours. And those computers themselves have become faster, more competent, and so they can run more types of mathematical equations for more grids across the planet faster. And that means that the accuracy has gone from a good forecast looking ahead three days to a good forecast looking ahead over the next seven days. I talked to a meteorologist who worked in the 70s and he said the accuracy has gone up by a day.

[Danny Lewis]

Per decade okay, so what are some ways then that people can get more accurate forecasts from their apps?

[Nicole Nguyen]

The trick is to look at many different apps, which is probably the answer people don't want is to have to do more work when it comes to the weather. But there is a tool called Forecast Advisor which looks at forecast accuracy for your zip code or city or state. So if you go to Forecast Advisor boop in your zip code or city, look at your top three sources. This site, I will say does not rank Apple Weather or Google Weather for technical reasons, but it's a good indication of which sites, which was surprising to me, are best for your location. One for San Francisco for example is called Forka, which I was not familiar with and it is mostly, mostly spot on. Another tip is to look at short term data or real term data. So instead of a seven day forecast, just look at what's happening tomorrow or within the next three days. Real time data is also very helpful. Helpful. You can look at radar apps which seem overwhelming at first because you're like am I cosplaying a meteorologist? But once you dig into these radar apps, radar maps, it becomes self evident. You know where that cloud is moving is, where rain will be, and you can see where the models think a storm is moving. And sometimes that's a little bit more information than just the icon in your weather app.

[Danny Lewis]

That was personal. Tech columnist Nicole Nguyen Coming up, until recently, OpenAI banned its technology from being used for military purposes. Now it's signed a deal with defense startup Anduril. What changed? That's after the break.

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[Danny Lewis]

OpenAI is getting into the business of war. The developer behind the AI chatbot ChatGPT has announced a new deal with Anduril, a defense company that specializes in drones and anti drone defense systems. It's a big and potentially lucrative change for the AI developer, and it could signal deeper ties between the tech industry and the U.S. department of Defense. Our reporter Deepa Sitharaman has been covering this story. She joins us now. And we should note before we get into it, News Corp, owner of the Wall Street Journal, has a content licensing partnership with OpenAI. Deepa, what do we know about the deal between OpenAI and Anduril at a high level.

[Deepa Sitharaman]

What we know is that OpenAI is allowing Anduril to use its technology in the company's defensive tools. So, like counter drones and things like that. And very explicitly, the Companies allow the OpenAI technology to be used in combat weapons. But that's kind of it. We don't know how much money is changing hands. We don't know where this technology might be deployed. We don't know all the ins and outs and in what manner it might be deployed. These are things that we've asked the company, but we're told that there was too sensitive to answer.

[Danny Lewis]

When you say using OpenAI's tech in Anduril's defensive tools, what exactly do you mean?

[Deepa Sitharaman]

So our understanding now is that OpenAI's AI technology, so these are models like the one underlying ChatGPT, they will start to incorporate that technology into the software that Anduril has built to maintain its counter drone systems. These are systems that detect and assess and track drones. And if they spot a threatening drone, then what happens is the military, or whoever the Anduril customers are, can use electronic jamming drones and other means to take it down. And the idea here, and the hope here, is that these AI systems can improve the accuracy and speed at which Anduril systems can detect and respond to drones. And the idea being that that minimizes casualties among U.S. troops.

[Danny Lewis]

So this is kind of a big shift because previously OpenAI explicitly barred its technology from being used for military and warfare purposes. Why are they changing their stance now?

[Deepa Sitharaman]

Yeah, so this has been an ongoing process for the last year. They had initially banned all kinds of military applications, including weapons. But then in January, there was a change in the company's usage policies, that the line that previously said that military and warfare usage was not allowed, that that line had been removed. And the company subsequently confirmed that it was working with the Defense Department on a slew of different projects. They're exploring a lot of other partnerships with the Defense Department that really are on the defensive side or analytical side of things. Where they've drawn a red line for now is we don't want these tools to be used to explicitly kill people. If it's defense or if it's just information gathering, they're increasingly comfortable with that. And then you've really seen since the election in November, a big uptick in these types of announcements and deals across Silicon Valley. So it's not just OpenAI that's made a shift towards the Pentagon. It's the broader tech industry that's done the same.

[Danny Lewis]

And along those lines, now that OpenAI and Anduril have this agreement, could we see other companies follow?

[Deepa Sitharaman]

Yeah. And in fact, you're seeing other companies do these kinds of deals this year. One of the things that's really picked up over the last year is this discussion broadly in the AI industry about AI companies serving as a strategic asset for the United States and bolstering national security at a time when there is rising competition in AI between the US and in countries like China. So the companies are trying to portray themselves as essential to the security backbone of the country. Besides OpenAI, we've seen its big partner, Microsoft, doing a lot of deals with the military. And then also Meta is now allowing the US military to use its AI models. And Anthropic, which is another big AI startup that was founded by a number of OpenAI co founders and senior executives. That company is also embracing the military and allowing its AI tools to be used through a partnership with Palantir. All these deals are such a striking contrast from 2018, which was not that long ago when there were internal protests within Google against Project Maven, which was a project that Google was embarking on with the US Military. That kind of internal employee protest actually led Google to back away from those deals. But we've seen a reengagement there too, with Google. And so a few years ago, this is very difficult to imagine. And over the last few years, there's been a real transition because it allows these companies to survive and thrive potentially.

[Danny Lewis]

So if working on military technology becomes more common, what does this mean for the tech industry at large?

[Deepa Sitharaman]

The tech companies have often been seen as global players. And the CEOs of these tech companies have often been positioned as global leaders. What is happening now is that these companies are increasingly portraying themselves as partners to the American government. Like they're no longer just global enterprises, they are American enterprises. And we've seen signs of that change over the last couple of years, and that's just accelerating in this past year.

[Danny Lewis]

That was our reporter Deepa Sitharaman. And that's it for Tech News Briefing. Today's show was produced by Julie Chang with supervising producer Kathryn Millsop. I'm Danny Lewis for the Wall Street Journal. We'll be back this afternoon with TNB techmedic. Thanks for listening.

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