Palmer Luckey's Anduril is partnering with OpenAI on AI defense tech

• OpenAI partnered with Anduril to enhance AI in defense tech.
• Anduril, known for autonomous military drones, has secured major US government contracts recently.
• The partnership aims to improve US counter-unmanned aircraft systems, the company said.

OpenAI is getting into the world of defense tech through a partnership with Palmer Luckey's Anduril.

On Thursday, Anduril said it entered a partnership with OpenAI to "deploy advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for national security missions."

The partnership will focus on improving the US counter-unmanned aircraft systems' ability to detect and respond to aerial threats, the company said in a statement.

The company also said that their partnership is a "pivotal moment" in the accelerating AI race between the US and China.

"The decisions made now will determine whether the United States remains a leader in the 21st century or risks being outpaced by adversaries who don't share our commitment to freedom and democracy and would use AI to threaten other countries," Anduril said.

Anduril, which generally makes autonomous vehicles for military use, has secured several multimillion-dollar contracts from the US government in recent years. Luckey founded Anduril in 2017 after previously founding virtual reality company Oculus, which he sold to Meta for $2 billion.

Anduril in October unveiled its new AI-powered Bolt-M drone, which can fit inside a backpack. The company developed the drones as part of $249 million in contracts awarded to Anduril, AeroVironment, and Teledyne FLIR to provide self-destructing drones for the Defense Department.

Defense tech leaders, including Luckey, have warned that AI could lead to a future of warfare dominated by cheap autonomous machinery like drones. Scott Sacknoff, president of aerospace and defense investment firm Spade Index, previously told Business Insider that autonomous drones are "definitely a trend."

Sacknoff said the military defense business is constantly looking for a "counter" to the newest technology and that the growth of autonomous drones would likely bring more innovations to stop them.

"The next phase will be someone — and they already are — working on developing the technology to be countering drones," he said.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in the statement that OpenAI supports "US-led efforts" to ensure that artificial intelligence "upholds democratic values."

"Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects US military personnel, and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free," Altman said.

OpenAI and Anduril didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment.