‘QuitGPT:’ OpenAI Faces Leftist Backlash over Department of War Partnership

A growing movement of leftist ChatGPT users are canceling their subscriptions following OpenAI’s announcement of a partnership with the Department of War to deploy AI models on classified networks.

Toms Guide reports that the AI industry is experiencing a significant shift as a “QuitGPT” movement gains momentum among users concerned about OpenAI’s recent agreement with the U.S. Department of War. The controversy erupted after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the partnership on social media platform X, stating that his company had reached an agreement to deploy OpenAI’s models within the Department of War’s classified network in replace of Anthropic after Donald Trump shut down all government usage of its AI models.

In his announcement, Altman attempted to reassure the public by emphasizing the department’s commitment to safety. “In all of our interactions, the DoW displayed a deep respect for safety and a desire to partner to achieve the best possible outcome,” Altman wrote in his post on the evening of February 28, 2026. Altman also claimed that OpenAI would “build technical safeguards to ensure our models behave as they should, which the DoW also wanted.” However, this assurance has done little to mollify critics who question whether any technical safeguards can adequately address the fundamental concerns about how the technology might be deployed.

However, the announcement has sparked widespread criticism and skepticism among ChatGPT users, many of whom are questioning the sincerity of OpenAI’s previous statements regarding ethical AI deployment. The timing of the announcement has raised particular concerns, coming shortly after rival AI company Anthropic publicly refused to allow its products to be used for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems.

Users are responding to concerns through direct action, canceling their paid ChatGPT subscriptions in what has become known as the “QuitGPT” movement. The movement is spreading rapidly across social media platforms, particularly Reddit and X, where users are documenting their cancellations and encouraging others to follow suit. This represents a direct financial impact on OpenAI, as users vote with their wallets against the company’s decision.

The actual scale of the cancellation wave remains difficult to quantify definitively. While the movement has generated significant online discussion and visibility, questions remain about whether it represents a vocal minority or reflects broader sentiment among ChatGPT’s massive user base. Many regular users may continue using the service unaware of the controversy or unconcerned about the potential implications of their data being accessible to the Department of War.

The crucial relationship between the companies blazing the AI trial and both the government and the conservative movement is the topic of the forthcoming book Code Red: The Left, the Right, China, and the Race to Control AI, written by Breitbart News social media director Wynton Hall. As Hall explores in the book, AI companies are staffed by leftists unfriendly to the MAGA movement and supporting our country’s warfighters. Creating a balance between tech giants and the government is the goal of CODE RED.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, praised Code Red as a “must-read.” She added: “Few understand our conservative fight against Big Tech as Hall does,” making him “uniquely qualified to examine how we can best utilize AI’s enormous potential, while ensuring it does not exploit kids, creators, and conservatives.” Award-winning investigative journalist and Public founder Michael Shellenberger calls Code Red “illuminating,” ”alarming,” and describes the book as “an essential conversation-starter for those hoping to subvert Big Tech’s autocratic plans before it’s too late.”