On Monday evening, protestors gathered outside the unmarked Manhattan offices of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, holding signs condemning the influence of wealthy tech companies on environmental issues. Over the following two days, demonstrations expanded to include the offices of other major technology firms such as Google and Amazon. In addition, several activists, including members of the clergy, were arrested after disrupting a closed-door AI health summit in New York City. Protesters plan to target a Brooklyn gas power plant, which had been slated for closure but was recently purchased to supply energy for AI data centers.

These protests come amid growing public concern over the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and its associated infrastructure. The demonstrations follow a high-profile resignation by an Anthropic employee who warned that those developing AI genuinely believe the technology could threaten human survival within the decade. While such concerns from AI experts are not new, the recent statement has intensified public skepticism, particularly as trust in big tech companies has declined to historic lows.

Opposition to data centers, which require vast amounts of electricity and water—often sourced from fossil fuels—has become a key issue. According to local activists, proposed expansions of these facilities have faced significant resistance nationwide. Between 2024 and 2026, grassroots campaigns successfully blocked data center projects totaling at least $64 billion. Eighteen U.S. states have enacted local or county-level bans, while New York implemented a statewide moratorium on data center construction this summer.

Jonathan Westin, spokesperson for Climate Defenders and the Stop Funding Billionaires campaign, which coordinated the recent “unplug AI” protests, criticized tech companies for their conflicting claims. “They are claiming that they have the power to end humanity, but at the same time can’t get AI to do a lot of major things that they’re pushing for,” he said. Protesters argued that the unchecked greed of these corporations poses a greater and more immediate threat to the environment than AI itself.

Many participants in the demonstrations were affiliated with climate organizations attending New York’s Climate Week, an international event aligned with the United Nations General Assembly. Activists raised concerns over the environmental impact of data centers, emphasizing their role in depleting water resources and contributing to pollution through fossil fuel consumption. They called for further restrictions on data center development and more robust policies to safeguard water supplies and reduce reliance on fossil energy.

Financial analysts have also cautioned about potential economic instability stemming from the AI sector’s rapid growth, warning of a possible bubble whose consequences could disproportionately affect working-class Americans. Westin criticized this dynamic, saying, “Regular people shouldn’t be left holding the bag for a bunch of billionaires and trillionaires to play Monopoly with our economy.”

Some groups, such as the anti-war organization Code Pink, highlighted the military applications of AI technologies developed by companies like Palantir, xAI, and Anthropic. They noted the use of these technologies by the U.S. military in targeting operations in the conflict in Iran, where precision has been questioned.

Alex Hanna, director of research at the Dair Institute, an organization focusing on communities impacted by environmental degradation linked to AI and resource extraction, described apocalyptic warnings about AI as distracting from broader issues. “It’s such a disconnect from what seems to be actually happening,” she said, referencing the intersecting climate crisis, political extremism, displacement, and economic hardship faced by many communities.

The protests outside OpenAI included participants from New Mexico, where a proposed Oracle data center contract—Project Jupiter—is planned near the Rio Grande, a region already experiencing a two-decade-long drought. Critics argue that the project’s promoters have understated the potential harm to local water supplies and the environment. Daisy Maldonado, a resident of Doña Ana County, the site of the proposed facility, accused companies of misinformation and misleading local officials and residents about the project’s purported economic benefits.

On Tuesday, protests continued at an AI sustainability conference in New York when five activists were arrested after interrupting a keynote address focused on deploying AI to address the energy grid crisis. Demonstrators accused the conference of engaging in “greenwashing,” warning against portrayals of data centers as environmentally friendly or sustainable. “There is no way that you can do this sustainably,” said Adrosto de Silva, who traveled from New Mexico to join the protests.