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Calls for boycott of ChatGPT after agreement with Pentagon

ChatGPT

An online protest movement is calling on users to boycott ChatGPT, following reports that the company OpenAI has reached an agreement with the Pentagon to deploy its artificial intelligence models on classified US military networks.

The campaign, known as "QuitGPT", claims that over 1.5 million people have taken action, by canceling subscriptions, sharing boycott messages on social media or registering on the quitgpt.org website, Euronews reported.

The reaction followed a public clash between artificial intelligence company Anthropic and the US Department of War. 

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei stated that he could not accept the Pentagon's request for unrestricted access to the company's AI systems.

"In some limited cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than protect, democratic values," he wrote, adding that some uses are outside the bounds of what current technology can do safely and reliably.

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Anthropic reportedly risked losing a $200 million contract to develop advanced AI capabilities for US national security.

Hours after negotiations between Anthropic and US authorities collapsed, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that his company had reached an agreement with the Pentagon to deploy its models on classified networks. He said the Department of War had shown “deep respect for security” and a desire to cooperate.

The announcement came shortly after US President Donald Trump declared that he would order federal agencies to immediately stop using Anthropic's technology.

The QuitGPT campaign accuses OpenAI of putting profit ahead of public safety, claiming that the deal with the Pentagon paves the way for uses such as mass surveillance or the development of autonomous weapons without human supervision.

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Organizers are urging users to switch to other alternatives, including Google's Gemini chatbot and other competing platforms. 

They have also announced a physical protest on March 3 near OpenAI's headquarters in San Francisco.