Note: An initial proposal and some good discussion already existed on LW here. I’m spurring this here as a post instead of a comment due to length, the need for a fresh look, and a specific call to action.

Summary

I think a petition-style boycott commitment could reach critical mass enough to significantly shift OpenAI corporate policy.

I specifically think a modular petition allowing different users to choose which goalposts the target must cross to end their boycott would be a good method of coalition building among those concerned about AI Safety from different angles.

Postulates

OpenAI needs some reform to be a trustworthy leader in the age of AI
- Zvi’s Fallout and Exodus roundups are good summaries, but the main points are:
- The NDA Scandal: forcing employees to sign atypically aggressive non-disparagement and recursive non-disparagement agreements
- Firing Leopold Aschenbrenner for whistleblowing to the board
- Not keeping safety compute commitments
- Multiple safety leaders leaving amid suggestions that the culture no longer respects safety (eg Jan Leike)
There is already a tangible and actionable set of demands advocated by experts in the area: the Right to Warn letter
- Point 4 is arguably a bridge too far and could be left out or weakened (or made optional with a modular petition)
Consumer subscribers collectively have substantial leverage
- Majority of Open AI revenue comes from individual $20/mo subscribers according to FUTURESEARCH
- OpenAI is likely sensitive to revenue at the moment given the higher interest rate environment and the recent focus on investors on the imbalance between AI company CapEx and revenue (eg this Sequoia report)
- OpenAI has shown to be fairly reactive to recent PR debacles
- Modern boycotts have a significant success rate at changing corporate policy
  - Ethical Consumer details a few successful boycotts per year for the last few years. Boycotts facing large multinationals, especially publicly traded ones like Microsoft, have historically done particularly well
We can win broad support, even among average people
- Boycotting a paid subscription won't harm users much
  - OpenAI’s latest model is available for free: paid perks are simply more usage, faster speed
  - Switching to Claude is easy and Sonnet 3.5 is better
- Public sentiment is broadly suspicious of Big Tech and AI in particular
  - Polls substantial bipartisan

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