On July 11, around 200 people marched between the offices of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind in San Francisco, calling for a pause on the training of more powerful AI models. This was reported by Decrypt.
The march was organized by the Stop the AI Race movement. Activists did not call for shutting down existing services but suggested maintaining access to current models while redirecting developer teams temporarily towards applied systems, safety, and alignment of AI behavior.
March participants also raised concerns about job losses, the environmental impact of data centers, the strain on energy systems, housing costs in San Francisco, and the influence of tech corporations. Some demonstrators urged state and local lawmakers to enhance oversight of advanced AI systems.
Mikaël Traczi, a former AI researcher and organizer of the march, mentioned a shift in the movement's strategy. Initially focused on persuading company leaders, activists now aim to bring the issue into the political agenda.
“Protests are useful: they show that people care,” Traczi stated.
According to him, the National Union of Healthcare Workers supported the event. The march also involved groups like AI Action and QuitGPT.
This event marked the second major march for Stop the AI Race. In March, about 200 people marched between the offices of Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI, demanding a coordinated pause in the development of advanced artificial intelligence.
It’s worth noting that in July, former OpenAI employee Daniel Kokotailo proposed slowing down the AI race until 2040. His scenario involves an agreement between the U.S. and China to limit the development of superintelligence.