An online campaign urging users to quit OpenAI's ChatGPT is gaining traction after reports that Sam Altman's company struck a deal to deploy its AI models within classified US military networks. Known as 'QuitGPT', the movement claims over 1.5 million people have taken action through cancellations, social media posts, or signing up at quitgpt.org.

The boycott surge follows Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's refusal to grant the Pentagon unrestricted access to his company's AI systems, citing ethical concerns about mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot, reportedly faced a deadline to loosen ethical guardrails or lose a $200 million contract for 'frontier AI capabilities' that advance US national security.

Hours after Anthropic's negotiations with the Department of Defence broke down, Altman announced OpenAI's agreement to deploy models in classified networks. The QuitGPT campaign accuses OpenAI of prioritizing profit over public safety, arguing many users wrongly believe ChatGPT is the only viable AI assistant. The boycott recommends alternatives including Claude, Gemini, and open-source options while criticizing OpenAI's willingness to allow Pentagon use 'for any lawful purpose,' including killer robots and mass surveillance.