Protesters rally outside OpenAI DevDay in San Francisco

In short: Protesters gathered outside OpenAI’s DevDay event in San Francisco to criticize the company’s government work and the impact of AI data centers.

What happened

OpenAI’s annual DevDay event started Tuesday with a protest outside the venue at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Protesters marched, chanted, and handed out flyers. Some carried signs spelling “PEOPLE OVER PROFIT,” aimed at CEO Sam Altman.

More than a dozen groups helped sponsor the rally, including Bay Resistance, Tech Workers Coalition, Service Employees International Union, San Francisco Rising, and the San Francisco Labor Council. Signs called on OpenAI to “Drop the ICE contract.” ICE is the US agency that enforces immigration laws.

Protesters also criticized OpenAI’s military and other government contracts and raised concerns about data centers. Data centers are large buildings full of computers (like warehouses for the internet) that need lots of electricity and water to run and stay cool. Some signs and flyers warned about climate damage and suggested keeping far away from data centers.

Chants reported at the protest included statements accusing OpenAI of enabling harm through its contracts. A protest leader said the group would stay until Altman arrived for the opening keynote, and Altman’s name drew boos from the crowd.

Why it matters

DevDay is a major event where OpenAI talks to software developers and announces new products. The protest shows that arguments about AI are not just about new features. They are also about who AI tools are built for, how they are used by governments, and the real-world costs of the computer infrastructure needed to run them.

Source: The Verge AI