Sam Altman's Pentagon deal sparks protest at OpenAI HQ
Mar 6th 2026
Dozens gathered outside OpenAI's San Francisco office on March 3 to protest Sam Altman's abrupt announcement that the company would let the Pentagon use its AI models for classified work.
- More than two dozen protesters, organized by QuitGPT and including students, teachers and former Supervisor Dean Preston, rallied outside OpenAI on March 3.
- The group targeted CEO Sam Altman after OpenAI announced a rapid agreement letting the Pentagon use its models for classified military work.
- The dispute followed Anthropic's refusal to accept Pentagon terms that could permit autonomous weapons use and domestic surveillance, after which the Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply-chain risk.
- Critics flagged contract language allowing the Department of Defense to use the AI for 'all lawful purposes' and questioned whether OpenAI secured the safeguards Anthropic sought.
- Altman later said the rapid announcement was a mistake, OpenAI added language barring intentional domestic surveillance of U.S. persons, and the company reaffirmed limits on autonomous weapons.