In September, Alfred Stephen, a freelance software developer based in Singapore, subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, hoping to enhance his productivity through access to advanced AI models. However, his experience quickly soured due to the chatbot’s lackluster coding assistance and overly verbose responses. His discontent deepened upon discovering a Reddit post promoting the QuitGPT campaign, which advocates for users to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions. The campaign’s rationale includes concerns over OpenAI president Greg Brockman’s financial contributions to a super PAC supporting former President Donald Trump, as well as the use of a ChatGPT-powered resume screening tool by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
For Stephen, Brockman’s political affiliations were the tipping point. “That’s really the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he stated after canceling his subscription, responding to a follow-up survey with a pointed remark about not supporting a “fascist regime.” The QuitGPT movement has gained traction in recent weeks, with users sharing their experiences and frustrations on Reddit, from complaints about the performance of the latest model to memes highlighting the chatbot’s shortcomings. Organizers have even planned a ‘Mass Cancellation Party’ in San Francisco as a satirical response to ongoing discussions about the platform’s future.
As of now, the QuitGPT campaign has garnered significant attention, with over a million views and likes on social media, and more than 25,000 participants signing up to share their subscription cancellation intentions. Activists, many of whom are seasoned grassroots organizers, cite the campaign’s potential impact on OpenAI’s subscriber base as a means to influence broader corporate behavior and political dynamics. By encouraging consumers to use their purchasing power as a form of protest, the QuitGPT initiative aims to challenge OpenAI’s ties to political entities perceived as authoritarian. As discussions around the implications of AI technology intensify, movements like QuitGPT highlight the intersection of consumer choices and political activism.
Source: A “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions via MIT Technology Review