Protesters gather at OpenAI’s DevDay
OpenAI's DevDay met organized labor and civil-rights groups calling for an end to ICE contracts and 'people over profit.'
Why it matters
Labor organizing and civil-society pressure on AI vendors is now coordinated at scale—multiple unions and advocacy groups targeting OpenAI on data-center partnerships and worker treatment. This signals a shift from individual criticism to structural campaigns affecting vendor reputation and procurement decisions.
The key facts
9 to knowProtests held Tuesday at OpenAI DevDay in San Francisco
More than a dozen organizations co-sponsored rally: Bay Resistance, Tech Workers Coalition, SEIU, San Francisco Rising, San Francisco Labor Council
Primary demand: drop ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) contract
Secondary messaging: 'people over profit' and worker treatment
Location: Fort Mason, San Francisco
Protests at OpenAI DevDay, San Francisco, Sept 29, 2026
13+ organizations including Tech Workers Coalition, SEIU, SF Labor Council
Demands: drop ICE contract, prioritize people over profit
Focus: autonomous agent deployments and government surveillance contracts
Go to the source
The Verge AItheverge.com
Publisher excerpt: On Tuesday, OpenAI's annual DevDay event began with protests, flyers and chants. "Sam Altman, get off it, put people over profit," said a group of protesters marching in a circle in front of a series of signs that spelled out "PEOPLE OVER PROFIT." More than a dozen organizations came together to…