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OpenAI Human Rights Lead Sarah Yager Raises Concerns Over Military AI Applications

·2026.10.08 05:02

Key point

Sarah Yager, OpenAI's first human rights and responsible deployment lead, expressed deep concern about military targeting and autonomous weapons during a conference appearance.

Details

Sarah Yager, who joined OpenAI in June as its first human rights and responsible deployment lead, highlighted significant ethical concerns regarding the military's adoption of AI. Speaking at the ScaleUp:AI conference in New York City, Yager stated that the potential use of AI in targeting and autonomous weapons is a primary worry, noting, "This keeps me up at night."

Context of Appointment

Yager's appointment follows OpenAI's contract with the Department of War (DoW) in late February to deploy advanced AI systems in classified environments. This deal occurred after a public dispute between the DoW and Anthropic. Yager brings 30 years of experience in human rights and military applications to the role.

Recent Incidents

The article cites a recent incident reported by CNN where the U.S. military nearly targeted a Chinese military ship based on an inaccurate, AI-generated intelligence report, illustrating the tangible risks Yager is addressing.

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