Approximately 50 people gathered Tuesday to protest the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company OpenAI and its cofounder and CEO, Sam Altman.
The demonstration, titled “No Killer Robots for ICE, War and Fascism,” began around 8 a.m. as the group chanted and marched down Marina Boulevard. Protesters entered the gates of Fort Mason before positioning themselves directly in front of the entrance to the OpenAI DevDay 2026 developer conference.
At 8:30 a.m., the coalition began a formal rally that continued until Altman delivered his morning keynote address.
A steady stream of conference attendees sidestepped the demonstration. Most ignored or waved away yellow flyers distributed by members of Bay Resistance, a coalition group organizing the event. The flyers detailed the coalition’s platform and included a pledge to protect democratic processes.
Security guards lined the venue entrance. At one point, a guard approached a protester and instructed her to remain within a designated boundary. She complied without incident.
The demonstration drew representatives from several progressive organizations, including Bay Resistance, the Sunrise Movement, Unitarian Universalists, labor unions, and immigrant rights groups.
Some demonstrators wore cardboard robot costumes, while others held signs reading “People Over AI,” “OpenAI Drop the ICE Contract,” and “Hands Off Our Data.” Several attendees wore black T-shirts that read “Abolish ICE, Abolish Billionaires, and Green New Deal.”
The coalition demanded that OpenAI terminate its contracts with the United States’ military and the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Activists are also calling on tech executives to sign a democracy pledge to defend free and fair elections, while urging the general public to stop using ChatGPT.
According to organizers, OpenAI’s reported $200 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (which protesters referred to as the Department of War) contributes to domestic mass surveillance and the development of lethal autonomous weapons. Activists also expressed anger over the use of OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, alleging it has been utilized as a screening and recruitment tool for ICE deportation forces.
Demonstrators wove a variety of other social issues into their rallying cries, including climate change and international conflicts, at one point chanting, “Free Palestine.”
Jane Martin, an organizer with Bay Resistance, explained the demonstration’s goals.
The companies that are collaborating with this authoritarian regime to carry out endless war … and whose tools are being used by ICE for their kidnapping machine need to be held accountable,” Martin said. “We’re calling on Sam Altman to side with the community, to sign the democracy pledge to stand up against interference. … We need tech that’s good for working people and the climate. What we have here is the exact opposite.”
Martin added that the group’s primary objective is to raise public awareness, stating she believes most computer programmers want to use their skills to improve society.
A QR code on the yellow flyers invited passersby to sign the “Bay Get Ready” democracy pledge, which states: “If there is an attempt to sabotage the 2026 midterm elections, I will be ready to defend the future of our communities alongside thousands of others in the Bay and nationwide.”
To highlight the environmental impact of AI data centers, protesters rolled out a large sculpture of a half-sunken ship titled “What Iceberg.” The accompanying plaque read:
“AI executives and bags of money first. Our planet and its inhabitants are left on board. Captain Sam is nowhere to be found but assures us the ship is unsinkable and that’s why there aren’t enough lifeboats for everyone. ‘You’re absolutely right: there was an iceberg ahead, my mistake!’”
As the rally continued in front of the conference entrance, a small robotic dog performed tricks. Addressing the machine, a speaker told the crowd, “See —they’re mocking us!”
