AI
Activists protest OpenAI's DevDay over military contracts and data center concerns
More than a dozen organizations demonstrated outside OpenAI's annual conference, targeting what they view as troubling partnerships and environmental harms.
The Verge
Demonstrators assembled outside San Francisco's Fort Mason as OpenAI kicked off its flagship DevDay event on Tuesday, calling attention to what activists frame as ethically problematic corporate practices. The gathering brought together over a dozen coalitions—among them Bay Resistance, the Tech Workers Coalition, the Service Employees International Union, and the San Francisco Labor Council—to challenge the company's direction.
What the protesters wanted#
The rally focused on three main concerns: OpenAI's partnerships with government agencies, particularly U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the environmental footprint of large-scale data center infrastructure; and the concentration of power within the AI industry. Attendees carried signs reading "Drop the ICE contract," "No killer robots for ICE," "People over AI," and "No climate destruction." Some wore cardboard robot costumes and wielded cardboard scythes as a visual commentary on AI risks. A prominent orange banner demanded the company sever its ICE agreement.
The broader movement#
The demonstration reflects wider unease about AI's trajectory and corporate accountability. Activist groups including QuitGPT have organized boycotts and called on technologists to leave the field, while recent months have seen public trust in AI decline amid security breaches and corporate overreach. The protest chants—among them "OpenAI, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide" and appeals directly to workers—signaled frustration extending beyond a single company to systemic concerns about who benefits from rapid AI advancement.
Organizers distributed flyers linking to QuitGPT.org and urging signatories to push OpenAI to abandon military and ICE contracts. One flyer illustrated the environmental case, suggesting that meaningful safety from data center hazards requires distance exceeding 100 miles.
Direct action and message#
As Chief Executive Sam Altman prepared to take the stage for his keynote, protest leaders announced they would remain until his arrival. When his name was spoken aloud, boos and shouts erupted from the crowd. At another point, a demonstrator with a megaphone led a song directed at OpenAI employees: "It's okay to change your mind; show us the courage, leave this behind."
