Inteligencia Artificial (IA)
Director of Robotics at OpenAI Resigns: Calls for Greater Debate on Citizen Surveillance and Autonomous Weapons
Paloma Firgaira
2026-03-08
5 min read
Just a week ago, we reported on Anthropic's abrupt withdrawal after being labeled a "supply chain risk" by the United States, coinciding almost immediately with the announcement of the agreement between the U.S. Department of Defense and OpenAI to implement ChatGPT in Pentagon systems. Meanwhile, the reasons for Anthropic's refusal, led by Dario Amodei, and the details of the contract with OpenAI remained unclear. Now, the news is the resignation of Caitlin Kalinowski, who was in charge of OpenAI's robotics team, citing ethical concerns about the military use of artificial intelligence.
Kalinowski, who joined OpenAI in November 2024, announced her departure via X and LinkedIn, emphasizing that her decision is based on principles and not personal disagreements, and expressing respect for Sam Altman and the rest of the team. In her brief message, she notes that the company did not sufficiently reflect on two key aspects related to the military agreement.
Kalinowski's resignation occurs in a transitional context: while Anthropic withdraws from the Pentagon (a process that will take six months), OpenAI takes on a central role in collaboration with the U.S. military, reigniting the debate over the ethical limits of artificial intelligence in military applications.
This case marks the first public and explicit resignation of a high-ranking OpenAI official for ethical reasons related to the military use of AI, setting a precedent in the industry. Kalinowski's departure highlights internal tensions within the company and raises questions about OpenAI's stance towards its employees, users, and society at large.
Additionally, the episode underscores the urgency of establishing clear regulations regarding artificial intelligence and its civil and military applications. While Europe is progressing more slowly in AI development, it has been working for some time on creating a regulatory framework.
In the comments to her announcement on X, Kalinowski avoided answering how many more employees have left the company following the agreement, stating that she cannot share internal information. Her public resignation is one of the few forms of pressure left when decisions have already been made at the executive level.
For OpenAI, the pressure is mounting: the company could face more departures and cancellations if it does not transparently and verifiably define its ethical boundaries. For the industry, the case reignites the debate over self-regulation. Anthropic, for its part, although losing a key contract, gains a reputation for its ethical stance, although its immediate future is uncertain.