Protesters and an art installation greet OpenAI's DevDay in San Francisco
OpenAI's DevDay opened in San Francisco on Tuesday with a rally outside the venue over its ICE and military contracts, data centres and industry power, and with a satirical sculpture at the public entrance.
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The story, neutrally told
OpenAI's annual DevDay event began on Tuesday with protests outside the venue at San Francisco's Fort Mason. The VergeLC “On Tuesday, OpenAI’s annual DevDay event began with protests, flyers, and chants.” Read at The Verge ↗ More than a dozen organisations sponsored the rally, including Bay Resistance, Tech Workers Coalition, the Service Employees International Union and the San Francisco Labor Council. The VergeLC “More than a dozen organizations came together to sponsor a rally outside the entrance to the event venue at San Francisco’s Fort Mason” Read at The Verge ↗ According to The Verge, protesters mostly targeted OpenAI's military and government contracts, particularly with ICE, as well as the environmental impact of data centres and the industry's power more generally. The VergeLC “Protesters at DevDay were mostly targeting OpenAI’s military and government contracts, particularly with ICE, as well as data centers’ environmental impact and the industry’s power more generally.” Read at The Verge ↗
Signs read "Drop the ICE contract" and "No killer robots for ICE", and some people wore cardboard robot costumes. The VergeLC “A large orange sign read “Drop the ICE contract.” Multiple people dressed in cardboard robot costumes waved cardboard scythes around.” Read at The Verge ↗ A flyer handed out by protesters claimed OpenAI "is building tools for Trump & ICE violence"; this is the flyer's allegation, and the article does not verify it. The VergeLC ““OpenAI is building tools for Trump & ICE violence while top executives are helping bankroll MAGA’s political power,” the flyer stated.” Read at The Verge ↗ A protest leader said the group would stay until Sam Altman arrived for the opening keynote, and mentions of his name were booed. The VergeLC “A protest leader told onlookers that the group would stay until Altman arrived to start the opening keynote.” Read at The Verge ↗
Separately, two artists from Berkeley-based Odd Friend Studio placed a 5-foot-tall papier-mâché sculpture, What Iceberg?, at the public entrance to the event. Ars TechnicaLC “Two artists from a Bay Area studio unveiled What Iceberg?, a table-sized installation placed at the public entrance to an OpenAI developer event in San Francisco on Tuesday.” Read at Ars Technica ↗ Its description says it shows OpenAI's leaders and investors escaping a sinking ship with great wealth while everyone else bears the cost of AI. Ars TechnicaLC ““shows OpenAI’s leaders and investors escaping a sinking ship with unimaginable wealth, while everyone else is left to face the cost of AI.”” Read at Ars Technica ↗ A co-creator who gave his name as Kevin said the piece drew on a Titanic metaphor in which workers suffer the consequences. Ars TechnicaLC “The rest of us? The workers of the lower decks? We are the ones that are going to suffer the consequences.” Read at Ars Technica ↗
The Verge described the protests as part of a wider movement, citing boycotts led by groups such as QuitGPT and low public trust in AI. The VergeLC “Organizations like QuitGPT have led boycotts” Read at The Verge ↗ Ars Technica noted other recent protests against OpenAI and other news involving the company, and said OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ars TechnicaLC “OpenAI did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment on Tuesday morning.” Read at Ars Technica ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat the protests sympathetically and as part of a broader backlash against AI companies. The Verge reports the rally and its demands; Ars Technica focuses on a satirical art installation.
- Emphasis
- The Verge stresses ICE and military contracts, data centres and low public trust. Ars Technica stresses the artists' motives and the craftsmanship-versus-AI theme.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports an OpenAI response to the protesters' claims. Ars notes the company did not respond to its request for comment.
- Charged language
- “People over profit”“Fascist!”
- For example
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“The protest reflects a bipartisan movement led by people opposing the power concentration in the AI industry, as well as the lack of government regulation.” — The Verge
“Protests against OpenAI get increasingly creative” — Ars Technica
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- OpenAI's DevDay in San Francisco on Tuesday drew protest activity outside the venue.
- Protesters framed OpenAI as putting profit and the wealthy ahead of ordinary people.
OpenAI organisation
OpenAI is the target of the protests. The coverage gives no OpenAI response to the protesters; Ars Technica says it did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
“OpenAI did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment on Tuesday morning.” — Ars Technica
Sam Altman person
Protesters targeted Altman by name in chants and booed his name. The coverage gives no statement from him.
““Sam Altman, get off it, put people over profit,”” — The Verge
Left2 articles
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Protesters gather at OpenAI’s DevDay
Sympathetic On-the-ground account of the rally that sets out protesters' slogans, flyers and targets within a wider anti-AI-industry movement.
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Protests against OpenAI get increasingly creative
Sympathetic Feature on a satirical sculpture, quoting the artist at length and presenting it as an example of increasingly creative protest.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 29 Sep 18:12 First The VergeLC Protesters gather at OpenAI’s DevDay
- 29 Sep 22:52 +4h 41m Ars TechnicaLC Protests against OpenAI get increasingly creative
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.