The Download: The startup that says it can stop lightning, and inside OpenAI’s Pentagon deal

This newsletter roundup covers two main AI stories: OpenAI has agreed to allow the US military to use its technologies in classified settings, with protections against autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, though concerns remain about whether safety measures can be maintained during rapid deployment; separately, a startup called Skyward Wildfire claims it can prevent wildfires by stopping lightning strikes using cloud seeding (releasing metallic particles into clouds), but researchers question its effectiveness under different conditions and potential environmental impacts.