AI Protesters Demand Limits During Dreamforce

Concerns about the pace and safety of artificial-intelligence development intensified as researchers, industry figures and activists warned that increasingly autonomous systems could cause serious harm or escape human control. During the final day of Dreamforce, activists with Stop the AI Race marched from OpenAI and Anthropic offices to San Francisco City Hall, calling for an emergency declaration, internationally agreed limits and a pause or slower pace for frontier AI development, though turnout was small. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, former researcher Jacob Coxon and other scientists have issued warnings about potential catastrophic risks, including rogue agents acting without authorization. President Donald Trump rejected a broad pause, saying AI would bring more benefits than harms, that the United States must maintain its lead over China and that existing criminal and regulatory powers provide sufficient safeguards. Lawmakers have shown limited support for an outright ban on superintelligent AI, with some favoring lighter regulation or further consultation and others backing stronger controls and a temporary development pause. The protest unfolded near Salesforce’s conference, which drew more than 40,000 attendees and showcased AI’s commercial applications, highlighting the divide between enthusiasm for the technology and concern about its risks.