The Digester

Guardian op-ed urges QuitGPT boycott over OpenAI political and military ties

Mar 4th 2026

Rutger Bregman urges users to cancel ChatGPT subscriptions in a Guardian op-ed, arguing that reported donations and government deals link OpenAI to political and military power and that a broad but simple boycott could pressure the company.

  • Rutger Bregman published an op-ed calling for a QuitGPT consumer boycott to protest what he describes as OpenAI's political and military entanglements.
  • The piece cites media reports that OpenAI president Greg Brockman donated $25 million to MAGA Inc, a Trump-affiliated Super PAC.
  • Bregman says reporting shows some US immigration officials used an AI screening tool based on ChatGPT.
  • The op-ed alleges OpenAI backed a $125 million lobbying initiative and a Super PAC aimed at opposing state-level AI regulation.
  • Bregman contrasts reports that competitor Anthropic resisted Pentagon access with claims that OpenAI signed a deal to provide technology to the US military, and he argues mass cancellations could hit OpenAI's subscription revenue.