San Francisco: 200 Protesters Call on OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepMind to Pause Their Models

Debates around artificial intelligence continue to grow as the most advanced models gain power. San Francisco once again served as a gathering point for activists wishing to slow this evolution. Their mobilization was not limited to just security issues of AI systems. Participants also discussed the economic, social, and environmental consequences of this technology, while calling on major companies in the sector to temporarily suspend the development of new cutting-edge models.

A New Protest in San Francisco Targets Artificial Intelligence Leaders

Protesters marched through San Francisco between the offices of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind to demand a pause in the development of the most advanced artificial intelligence models. The event, organized by the Stop the AI Race movement, follows up on a first mobilization held in March. Organizers want companies to stop training new models while keeping systems already available to the public. They also call for research efforts to focus more on safety and alignment of artificial intelligence.

This mobilization was coordinated by Michaël Trazzi, a former artificial intelligence researcher. According to him, the movement’s objectives have evolved over the past months. In a statement attributed to Decrypt, he explains that he initially aimed to directly convince leaders of major tech companies.

At the beginning of the year, I was less focused on political impact and more on persuading CEOs. With my many blog posts and discussions with one of them, I believe I have revised my position and am now more attentive. I also think protests are useful to show that the public cares about the issue.

Michaël Trazzi, former artificial intelligence researcher. Source: Decrypt.

Now, he believes that protests also help show that these concerns are shared by part of the population.

Demands now go beyond just technical risks related to AI. Participants also highlighted concerns about job losses, the environmental impact of infrastructures needed for model development, and rising housing costs in San Francisco. They finally denounced the growing influence of large tech companies on economic and political choices.

A Movement That Is Gradually Broadening Its Support

Organizers indicate that their campaign continues through protests and awareness actions. After the March mobilization, which had already gathered about 200 people, the collective says it has received support from new organizations. This momentum encourages movement leaders to continue their actions in the coming months.

Michaël Trazzi especially welcomed the support shown by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which shared the protest on its social networks. He also highlighted the quick mobilization of several groups in the San Francisco area, including AI Action, who participated in organizing the event. He lastly thanked QuitGPT for its logistical help in preparing this new March.

I was pleasantly surprised by the support from NUHW, which shared the protest on their social networks, but also by how quickly other groups from the San Francisco Bay area, like AI Action, mobilized to collaborate with us. I am also very grateful to QuitGPT for their help in organizing this event.

Michaël Trazzi, former artificial intelligence researcher. Source: Decrypt.

Protesters now demand an international pause in the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems. At the same time, they invite policymakers to strengthen the oversight rules applicable to advanced models. Their goal remains to establish stronger safeguards before any further acceleration of research in this field.

OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind did not immediately respond to requests for comments after the protest. Therefore, companies have not reacted publicly to the demands made during this mobilization organized in San Francisco.

Concerns About AI Remain at the Center of Debates

This new protest comes as security-related questions about artificial intelligence continue to occupy an important place in public debate. Several recent events have spurred discussions around potential risks associated with the most advanced systems.

In May, OpenAI announced the addition of new safety features to ChatGPT. These tools aim to better detect situations involving risks of self-harm or violence during conversations. This development came as the company faced lawsuits and investigations regarding the handling of certain interactions deemed dangerous.

The following month, the Trump administration asked Anthropic to suspend access to its Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 models due to potential cybersecurity risks. More recently, a first group of independent United Nations scientific experts dedicated to artificial intelligence concluded that researchers could not rule out the possibility of catastrophic damage. According to this group, the development of this technology is currently progressing faster than the available scientific knowledge and government control mechanisms. These various elements fuel the demands expressed during the protest organized in San Francisco.

Organizers plan to continue their actions to advocate for an international pause in the development of the most advanced artificial intelligence models. Upcoming initiatives should also continue to call on legislators to establish a stricter oversight framework. The movement’s evolution will now depend on the responses of the companies involved and public authorities to the demands made during gatherings in San Francisco.