Technologies

Why You Should Care About OpenAI’s New $200 Million Defense Department Deal

ChatGPT maker OpenAI inked a new deal with the US government. Here’s what their plans for AI in government could mean for you.

The US Department of Defense has awarded ChatGPT maker OpenAI a $200 million contract to develop «prototype frontier AI capabilities,» the government and company announced on Monday.

The deal is through the Defense Department’s chief digital and artificial intelligence office and is expected to be completed in one year. OpenAI said in its statement that its AI could help the department perform tasks ranging from «transform[ing] its administrative operations … to streamlining how they look at program and acquisition data, to supporting proactive cyber defense.»

That’s a broad list, from automating bureaucratic processes to potentially letting OpenAI’s tech play a major role in the digital systems that safeguard every American’s personal information. It could be just the first step in a more widespread adoption by government agencies.

The contract is a pilot program and the first partnership in the new OpenAI for Government initiative, through which the company aims to put its AI tools in the hands of «public servants across the United States.» Through the initiative, OpenAI says it’s offering access to AI «models within secure and compliant environments» and also, on a limited basis, new custom AI models for national security for federal, state and local governments.

This isn’t OpenAI’s first time dipping its toes into government operations. In January, the company launched ChatGPT Gov, a new pathway for government employees to access OpenAI’s models while still following the necessary security protocols. It also has partnerships with US National Labs⁠, the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, the National Institutes of Health and the Treasury Department. Those will all be folded into OpenAI for Government.

This deal also builds on OpenAI’s other security work. Late last year, the company announced a partnership with Anduril, a defense contractor with a focus on AI and robotics/drones. Anduril’s statement explicitly points out OpenAI’s potential to «improve the nation’s defense systems that protect US and allied military personnel from attacks by unmanned drones and other aerial devices.» (Anduril also recently announced a new deal with Meta for VR/AR tech for the US Army.)

Many essential questions around AI, like those involving privacy and safety, are still unanswered. That takes on even greater significance as generative AI gets adopted in government operations that may involve things like sensitive personal information, legal status or law enforcement activity. That could put to the test OpenAI’s policies, which specify that its AI shouldn’t be used to compromise the privacy of real people, including to «create or expand facial recognition databases without consent» and «conduct real-time remote biometric identification in public spaces for law enforcement purposes.»

It’s not surprising to see OpenAI cozy up to the US government. Since its original ChatGPT model spurred the generative AI rush starting in late 2022, governments here and abroad have struggled with how to implement and regulate the new tech. It’s affected every branch of the US government. There hasn’t been any substantial federal regulation around AI — to the contrary, President Trump’s «big beautiful bill» on government spending making its way through Congress would prevent states from regulating AI themselves.

Some government departments, like the US Copyright Office, have laid out some guidelines for AI. Meanwhile in the courts, publishers and artists have filed lawsuits against AI companies alleging copyright infringement and misuse of training material. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Technologies

The Most Exciting Video Game Rumors and Leaks Ahead of 2026

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Dec. 17

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 17.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Nod (off)
Answer: DOZE

5A clue: Naval submarine in W.W. II
Answer: UBOAT

7A clue: Tricky thing to do on a busy highway
Answer: MERGE

8A clue: Heat-resistant glassware for cooking
Answer: PYREX

9A clue: Put into groups
Answer: SORT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Break up with
Answer: DUMP

2D clue: Falls in line, so to speak
Answer: OBEYS

3D clue: Legendary vigilante who cuts a «Z» with his sword
Answer: ZORRO

4D clue: Rarin’ to go
Answer: EAGER

6D clue: Common reminder for an upcoming appointment
Answer: TEXT

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

You Can Watch an Exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash Scene on TikTok Right Now

Disney and TikTok partner on an immersive content hub for James Cameron’s latest movie about the alien Na’vi.

If you’re not quite ready to head to the theater to watch Avatar: Fire and Ash, an exclusive scene preview might sell you on the visual spectacle. As part of a new collaboration with the social media giant, Disney is posting snippets of its new movie to its TikTok account.

This scene isn’t part of any trailer and won’t be posted to other social media accounts, making TikTok the only place you can view it — unless you buy a movie ticket. A first look at the new movie’s scenes isn’t the only Avatar-related bonus on the social media platform right now, either. TikTok has partnered with the house of mouse to bring an entire «immersive content hub» to the app.

A special section of TikTok includes quizzes and educational videos that explore the alien world of Pandora shown off in the movies. On TikTok, you can take a personality quiz to find out what Na’vi clan you most closely align with and unlock a special profile picture border to use on your account.

Science and fiction blend together with a series of videos from real doctors who explain the basis for some of Avatar’s world-building. If you want to learn about exoplanets or how realistic the anatomy of the movie’s alien animals is, these videos will feed your brain while still providing entertainment value.

Perhaps the most enticing part of Disney’s latest social media collaboration is the opportunity for fans to win prizes and trips. TikTok creators who make edits with the #TikTokAvatarContest hashtag are entered into a competition to win Avatar merchandise. The biggest winners will be able to take a trip to visual effects studio Wētā Workshop in New Zealand or visit Avatar director James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third installment in director Cameron’s cinematic passion project. While the first Avatar movie was released in 2009, Cameron didn’t release another entry in the franchise until 2022. In total, there is a five-movie arc planned for the indigo alien Na’vi on the moon of Pandora.

The Avatar movies are known for pushing the boundaries of CGI visual effects in cinema. They are also historically big winners at the box office: the original Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all time, earning $2.9 billion across its theatrical releases. Its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, is the third-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing Avengers: Endgame. You can stream those movies on Disney Plus.

It remains to be seen whether Avatar: Fire and Ash will financially live up to its predecessors. The film currently has mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.