About two dozen protesters, among them high school students from Berkeley, rallied outside OpenAI's San Francisco offices on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as part of a nationwide walkout calling for a freeze on artificial intelligence development until the public and Congress can set rules for it. KQED reported that activists held similar rallies in 50 U.S. cities and on college campuses, including Los Angeles, New York and Florida.
Why it matters: OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, is one of San Francisco's largest tech employers, and the rally is the latest sign of local pushback against the AI boom, from data center fights in San Jose and Hayward to worries about jobs.
What happened
The San Francisco event was billed by its organizers, Stop the AI Race and the nonprofit Irreplaceable, as a "School Walkout To Freeze AI." Their public event listing said high school and college students would walk to OpenAI's offices for an 11:30 a.m. rally at 550 Terry A. François Blvd.
Protesters carried signs reading "We Didn't Elect Big Tech" and "Water For People, Not Data Centers," according to KQED. Jeremy Ornstein, an organizer with Irreplaceable, told the crowd that AI "is being advanced so quickly" and that "thousands of people" are demanding "a freeze on AI until it can be under public control and benefit us." Max Blair of Stop the AI Race also spoke.
KQED did not report any arrests or disruptions. OpenAI's response to the rally was not included in the coverage reviewed for this story.
Who is behind it
Irreplaceable launched in August, founded by climate activists, civil rights leaders and national labor unions, KQED reported. Its executive director, Phil Aroneanu, co-founded the climate group 350.org. The group's stated goal is to "give voice to anxiety and anger about AI" and push for federal legislation.
It has laid out a three-year plan: build a base of concerned Americans in 2026, develop a "shared federal agenda on AI" in 2027 and pressure candidates in 2028, the next presidential election year. The group has not yet said exactly what laws it wants passed, KQED noted.
Students split on how far to go
Sisters Junia and Gwen Martens came from Berkeley High School and did not fully agree. Gwen, 14, told KQED that "AI should be stopped." Junia, 16, said she wants regulation and education instead: "I think that AI can be helpful in a lot of different situations." She co-leads a Berkeley High club, AI Effects and Consequences, that talks with elementary and middle school students about the technology.
Both said they want less AI use in schools. "I don't use generative AI," Gwen said. "It really stops you from thinking, which is how you learn."
The local backdrop
The protest's data center signs echo fights playing out across the Bay Area. Hundreds packed San Jose City Hall last week to call for a data center moratorium, and Hayward's council had a moratorium vote scheduled the same day as the walkout. Earlier this month, during SF Tech Week, Bay Area residents shared mixed feelings about AI while founders cheered lighter-touch federal rules.