Bregman makes a decent case for boycotting Chat GPT

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2026·EA Forum·forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/J8FRrRRaCWHAmfvjY/bregm...

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NickLaing

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An EA Forum discussion of a public intellectual's call to boycott ChatGPT, relevant to debates about consumer activism, AI governance, and whether individual actions matter in shaping AI development norms.

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Summary

This EA Forum post discusses historian Rutger Bregman's argument for boycotting ChatGPT, examining ethical, environmental, and societal concerns about large language models. The post engages with whether consumer-level boycotts of AI products are a meaningful form of advocacy or harm reduction in the context of AI development.

Key Points

•Bregman argues that widespread boycotts of ChatGPT could send a market signal about public discomfort with certain AI development practices.
•The post considers environmental costs (energy and water consumption) as part of the ethical case against unrestricted LLM usage.
•Discussion touches on whether individual consumer choices can meaningfully influence the trajectory of powerful AI companies.
•The post engages with EA community perspectives on whether boycotts are an effective strategy compared to policy advocacy or technical safety work.
•Raises questions about complicity and moral responsibility in using products from companies whose practices one finds harmful.

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# Bregman makes a decent case for boycotting Chat GPT
By NickLaing
Published: 2026-02-25
**Is now the time to Boycott Chat GPT?** I've raised boycotts here before and EAs seem a bit allergic, but [@Rutger Bregman](https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/users/rutger-bregman-1?mention=user) makes a strong case. Costs little, the time seems ripe and it might achieve something big.

If there was even a 5% chance that a boycott could either harm Open AI or push them to reform (optimistic?) it, might it be worth putting some energy or even EA money into supporting this cause? Unfortunately OpenPhil probably couldn't as they have such a conflict of interest with Anthropic, but others could. That is if money is even needed to support this.

I'm not sure about this but one short Linkedin post almost sold me on it! This guy Bregman sure knows how to communicate....

*"... The Montgomery Bus Boycott wasn't a protest against all of American segregation. It targeted one bus company, in one city. A year later, it had broken the back of segregated transit. *

*I believe we're looking at a similar moment right now with ChatGPT.*

*Most people don't know that ChatGPT's president, Greg Brockman, donated $25 million to Trump's MAGA Super PAC — the single largest donation in their latest filing. OpenAI won a $200 million Pentagon contract, and apparently has no problems with mass surveillance and killer drones (something Anthropic refuses to build). ICE uses a screening tool powered by ChatGPT. And they're spending $125 million+ on a Super PAC that attacks any politician who tries to regulate AI.*

*But here's what makes this different from just another outrage cycle: OpenAI is genuinely fragile. Their market share has collapsed from 69% to 45% in a single year. They spend $3 for every $1 they earn. They're on track to lose $14 billion this year. They've started running ads: something their own CEO once called 'a last resort'. Investors are watching their subscriber numbers like hawks.*

*Over 700,000 people have already joined the international boycott of ChatGPT. It takes ten seconds to switch to an alternative. The products are just as good or better. The switching cost is essentially zero.*

*Greg Brockman bet $25 million that you wouldn't care.*

*Prove him wrong "*

**Disclosure:** My organisation OneDay Health has received free API credits from ChatGPT and still currently use their model in our AI clinical decision tool.

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