OpenAI Human Rights Lead Warns Military AI Applications Keep Her Awake at Night

Sarah Yager, OpenAI's first human rights and responsible deployment lead, warned on Tuesday that the global military adoption of artificial intelligence poses severe humanitarian risks. Speaking at the ScaleUp:AI conference in New York City, Yager stressed the urgency of establishing strict guardrails around targeting systems and autonomous weapons as armed forces rapidly integrate automated technologies into combat operations.

"This keeps me up at night: 'What is the military going to do with AI when it comes to targeting? And what about autonomous weapons? And where is all of this going?'" Yager stated. Describing her position inside OpenAI as operating in "the belly of the beast," she pushed back against Silicon Valley's debates regarding AI rights, arguing that baseline international human rights must remain the core standard. "I do not want an AI company telling me what is good," she said, referencing the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

OpenAI recruited Yager following its February contract with the Department of War to deploy advanced AI models in classified environments. That agreement materialized after rival Anthropic was labeled a supply-chain risk for refusing military demands that lacked strict bans on mass surveillance and autonomous weaponry. Yager, who initially questioned whether her hiring was a public relations maneuver, accepted the post after speaking with engineers concerned about the implications of their work. Since joining, she has facilitated high-stakes red-teaming sessions with international legal experts to calibrate OpenAI models against the laws of armed conflict.

Looking ahead, Yager voiced concern over the narrow demographic overseeing AI development, pointing to recent White House safety meetings dominated almost entirely by male executives. She noted that AI is fundamentally altering global power balances without adequate input from affected populations. To mitigate operational risks and protect democratic norms, Yager is currently collaborating with federal oversight bodies, including the Government Accountability Office, to develop external monitoring mechanisms tracking government AI deployments.