Caitlin Kalinowski, OpenAI’s former head of robotics, has resigned, citing concerns about surveillance and unauthorized lethal autonomous weapons during her tenure under a Pentagon contract. Her departure follows stalled negotiations between the U.S. military and Anthropic over similar issues, while OpenAI proceeds with an agreement to deploy its models on classified networks. On-chain news continues to underscore rising tensions between AI and government institutions. AI and crypto news increasingly intersect as defense contracts expand.

ChainThink reports that, on March 9, according to Fortune magazine, Caitlin Kalinowski, who has been leading OpenAI’s hardware and robotics operations since November 2024, has officially departed.


head of robotics - Head of OpenAI Robotics Resigns Over Concerns About Surveillance and Autonomous Weapons

She posted on X and LinkedIn: “I have resigned from OpenAI. I deeply love the robotics team and the work we built together. This was not an easy decision. AI plays a critical role in national security, but the lack of judicial oversight over surveillance of Americans and the development of lethal autonomous weapons without human authorization are red lines that deserved more careful consideration. This is about principles, not personal matters. I have immense respect for Sam and the team, and I am proud of what we accomplished together.”

head of robotics - Head of OpenAI Robotics Resigns Over Concerns About Surveillance and Autonomous Weapons


Her departure coincided with escalating controversy over AI companies collaborating with the U.S. military. Recently, negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic broke down after Anthropic insisted on restrictions regarding domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons, while OpenAI subsequently reached an agreement with the Department of Defense to deploy its models on classified government networks.