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OpenAI has partnered with two defence technology companies that the Pentagon has selected to compete to develop voice-controlled, drone swarming software for the United States military, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
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OpenAI’s technology would only be used to translate voice commands from battlefield commanders to digital instructions for the drones, according to two of the people. It wouldn’t be used for the operation of the drone swarm, weapons integration or targeting authority, the two people said. All of the people asked not to be named to discuss sensitive matters that aren’t public.
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The effort is part of a US$100 million Pentagon prize challenge announced in January that’s intended to deliver prototypes for technology that can command swarms of drones capable of making decisions and execute missions without human intervention. The six-month competition will progress in phases, depending on the success and interest of the participants, the people said.
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OpenAI’s logo appears on at least two of the successful contest submissions, according to some of the people. OpenAI’s involvement hasn’t previously been reported, and the companies selected haven’t been publicly named. Bloomberg News couldn’t identify OpenAI’s partners.
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OpenAI hasn’t decided how far it will proceed or firmed up arrangements with the defence-tech companies involved, according to some of the people. Only the open-source version of OpenAI’s model would be provided rather than the company’s most advanced models, according to one of the people, who added the company may also provide installation support.
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OpenAI didn’t submit its own bid for the prize and its involvement in the challenge will be only cursory, according to a spokesperson. Other AI companies have directly submitted their own bids to participate in the drone swarm contest, according to the spokesperson. Bloomberg was unable to identify the other companies.
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Special Operations Command, which runs the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, or DAWG, declined to comment. The Defense Innovation Unit didn’t respond to a request for comment. DAWG and DIU jointly launched the prize challenge for drone swarm technology.
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The company’s involvement in the drone swarm challenge reveals that its defence work is set to expand the military’s current use of its tools.
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This week, the Pentagon announced a partnership with OpenAI that would make ChatGPT available to three million Defense Department personnel. Chief executive Sam Altman last year downplayed the prospect of helping the Pentagon develop an AI-enabled weapons platform.
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“I don’t think most of the world wants AI making weapons decisions,” he said in April at a conference dedicated to modern conflict, adding that he didn’t expect the company would do so “in the foreseeable future.”
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Altman still left the possibility open, however. “I will never say never, because the world could get really weird,” he said.
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While it is already possible to fly multiple drones at once, developing the software to direct multiple drones on sea and in the air as a swarm — able to move autonomously in pursuit of a target — remains a challenge.
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