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Protesters Rally Against OpenAI's Military AI Contract
Demonstrators voice concerns over AI surveillance and autonomous weapons as OpenAI negotiates with Pentagon
Published on Mar. 6, 2026
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A group of protesters gathered outside OpenAI's headquarters in San Francisco to protest the company's recent military AI contract with the Pentagon. The demonstrators expressed fears over the potential use of AI technology for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, chanting slogans like "No AI surveillance state!" The protest came as OpenAI attempts to add more safeguards to its contract after facing backlash, while rival Anthropic has been designated a "supply chain risk" by the Defense Department.
Why it matters
The protest highlights growing public unease about the military applications of AI technology, as major tech companies like OpenAI and Anthropic become increasingly entangled with the Pentagon. The protesters' concerns range from data privacy and environmental impact to the existential threat of AI-powered autonomous weapons, reflecting the broad and complex nature of the debate around the societal implications of advanced AI.
The details
The protesters included a mix of tech workers, activists, and concerned citizens. One organizer, who wore a cardboard robot mask and identified himself as "The Last Friendly Robot," expressed fears about AI-powered weapons that could "kill with no conscience, and no human in the loop." Other demonstrators, like Perrin Milliken from a climate nonprofit, were concerned about the environmental impact of data centers powering AI systems. The protest also featured calls for OpenAI employees to "quit your job" in response to the company's military contract.
- On Thursday, the Pentagon designated Anthropic as a "supply chain risk", barring military contractors from using the company's AI technology.
- Last week, hundreds marched outside the headquarters of DeepMind, OpenAI, and Meta in an anti-AI protest that drew up to 500 people.
- Last month, 200 people marched on Virginia's state capital to protest the data centers being built in the state to support AI development.
The players
OpenAI
An American artificial intelligence company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, that has become a lead vendor for military AI services.
Anthropic
An AI research company that was previously the lead vendor for military AI services, but has now been designated a "supply chain risk" by the Pentagon, barring military contractors from using its technology.
The Last Friendly Robot
An anonymous organizer of the protest who wore a cardboard robot mask and expressed concerns about AI-powered autonomous weapons.
Perrin Milliken
A young woman who works at a climate nonprofit and is concerned about the environmental impact of data centers powering AI systems.
Rick Girling
A retired economics and history teacher who has become concerned about AI after reading critical accounts of OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman.
What they’re saying
“Who wants mass surveillance? Only the Epstein class.”
— The Last Friendly Robot, Protest Organizer
“It was scary how quickly they were fine with whatever the government wanted.”
— Perrin Milliken, Climate Nonprofit Employee
“It will kill everybody. If it doesn't kill everybody, we will lose power slowly, and we will die slowly.”
— David Kreuger, Computer Science Professor
What’s next
The judge in the Anthropic case will decide on Tuesday whether to allow the company to continue negotiating with the Pentagon.
The takeaway
The protest outside OpenAI's headquarters highlights the growing public backlash against the military applications of AI technology, as major tech companies become increasingly entangled with the Pentagon. The protesters' diverse concerns, ranging from surveillance to environmental impact to the existential threat of autonomous weapons, reflect the complex and multifaceted nature of the debate around the societal implications of advanced AI.
