Protesters gathered outside OpenAI’s DevDay event in San Francisco on Tuesday, holding signs, chanting, and waving cardboard robot costumes with cardboard scythes. The crowd targeted the company’s military and government contracts, especially with ICE, as well as data centers’ environmental impact and the industry’s power more generally.
The protest came at a time when trust in AI appears low. In recent months, AI labs have faced hacks by “rogue” systems that accessed competitors’ networks and individuals’ personal data. Protesters also pointed to the lack of government regulation and the concentration of power in the AI industry.
The Rally Outside Fort Mason
Outside the entrance to the event venue at San Francisco’s Fort Mason, more than a dozen organizations sponsored the rally. Among them were Bay Resistance, Tech Workers Coalition, Service Employees International Union, San Francisco Rising, and the San Francisco Labor Council.
A big orange sign said “Drop the ICE contract.” The other signs bore messages such as “No killer robots for ICE,” “People over AI,” “Where is your moral codex?”, and “No climate destruction.”
A group of demonstrators formed a ring around a set of signs spelling out “PEOPLE OVER PROFIT.” They passed in front of these markers while another band called out “Sam Altman, get off it, put people over profit.”
Flyers and Demands
At the protest, flyers were handed out urging people to “sign the democracy pledge & end ICE + military contracts,” complete with a link pointing to QuitGPT.org. That link leads to a campaign run by groups such as QuitGPT, an organization that has organized boycotts against AI companies.
A separate flyer displayed “safe distances”, citing data centers as the source, to suggest that staying safe requires keeping a distance of more than 100 miles.
Chants Against OpenAI
Outside the DevDay event, protesters’ chants included “OpenAI, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide”; “Not another sequence, not another line, no more coding for ICE crimes”; and “When I say people, you say power. People. Power! People. Power!”
One protester with a loudspeaker addressed OpenAI employees directly, leading them in a song: “It’s okay to change your mind; show us the courage, leave this behind.”
The protest leader addressed the crowd and said the demonstrators would remain in place until Altman showed up to begin the keynote address. The mention of his name drew booing from those watching. A single voice called out “Fascist!”
The Protest’s Broader Movement
People who oppose the AI industry’s power concentration and the absence of government oversight have come together across party lines to form a movement. Organizations such as QuitGPT have led boycotts, and in some instances, individuals have tried to attack AI CEOs at their own homes.
The protesters’ demands covered several areas:
- Drop the ICE contract
- End military contracts
- Sign the democracy pledge
- Address data centers’ environmental impact
The Protest’s Scope
The demonstration serves as a public display of dissatisfaction with how the AI industry is currently developing. It has arisen during a period when AI research centers are under close examination regarding security, privacy, and accountability.
Cardboard robot costumes brandishing cardboard scythes bring a theatrical flair to what is otherwise a serious set of demands. The chants reveal a deep frustration over how AI companies are choosing to spend their resources.
A number of groups are backing the event, including tech worker associations and labor unions.
What the Protesters Are Asking For
What the protesters want is not simply to talk; they demand action instead.
- Drop the ICE contract — the orange sign at the rally made that demand explicit.
- End military contracts — protesters targeted OpenAI’s military work alongside its ICE contracts.
- Sign the democracy pledge — the flyers directed people to QuitGPT.org, where boycotts have been organized.
- Address data centers’ environmental impact — signs at the rally raised questions about climate destruction.
The protesters’ demand is stated plainly in the chant “When I say people, you say power”, which calls for OpenAI to put human interests ahead of corporate profits.
The Protest’s Political Context
A wider movement opposes the concentration of power within the AI industry alongside the absence of government oversight, and the protest is part of it. Organizations such as QuitGPT, which has organized boycotts against AI companies, sit among its ranks.
In certain instances, people have tried to strike at the residences of AI executives themselves. The demonstration serves as a public manifestation of that fury.
A broad mix of groups back the rally through sponsorship. Those taking part come from many walks of life, bound by one common call for change.
The cardboard robots and scythes stood out as a striking image. The shouts grew louder and more furious. The intent behind it all could not be mistaken.
Whether OpenAI listens is another question entirely.
Source material: “Protesters gather at OpenAI’s DevDay,” The Verge.
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