Anti-AI protest reaches OpenAI HQ: Why protesters left body bags outside office

Body bags outside an AI company's office are not something one would expect to walk into. But that's exactly what happened outside OpenAI’s headquarters on July 16, as employees walked into the sight of empty body bags placed outside the office by activists protesting over the impact of artificial intelligence (AI).

While the scene has already created much concern, AI executives are becoming increasingly concerned about negative public reactions to AI, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Recently, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s house was also attacked twice, highlighting growing tensions and concerns around the backlash.

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Why protesters placed body bags outside OpenAI HQ?

According to Stephen Council at Business Insider, the body bags were part of an anti-AI protest at the OpenAI HQ. The protest showcased disapproval of OpenAI's partnership with the US Department of Defence (DoD), as they object to the use of AI technology in defence and military-related applications.

It is suggested that two activist groups, Tesla Takedown and Stop the Money Pipeline, were reportedly behind the demonstration. These groups have previously organised similar protests targeting major AI and tech companies. 

The protest not only consisted of body bags, but also a list consisting of names of children who were reportedly killed in a US bombing of an Iranian school. This display was to show concerns about military technology and AI in warfare.

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It is further reported that the activists plan to organise similar protests outside other major technology companies, including Anthropic, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Tesla.

Why are AI executives scared?

While the protest was around OpenAI’s work with the US military, there is a larger concern about people being against AI. AI executives have started to face greater backlash with public protests, online threats, and security concerns. Personal safety another major concern after an incident involving Sam Altman’s home.

WSJ also quoted a security company, Liferaft, stating that threats targeting AI execs, companies, and data centres have increased sevenfold between late February and May. These companies have also started to advise their employees not to openly display company branding to avoid being targeted.