AI activist continues hunger strike outside Anthropic headquarters for fourth week
- CryptoQuinn
- September 26, 2025
- Fintech
- 0 Comments
Protester’s Extended Fast
Guido Reichstadter has now entered his fourth week of a hunger strike outside Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters. The 56-year-old activist, who leads the group Stop AI, has consumed only electrolytes and vitamins since September 1. Each day he positions himself on the sidewalk at 500 Howard Street, where food delivery riders regularly stop at the unmarked office tower.
His protest centers on what he calls “a great and profound evil” within the company. Reichstadter believes Anthropic developers are “knowingly racing towards superhumanly capable general AI systems they have no credible plan to control.” His demand is straightforward: the company and CEO Dario Amodei should publicly acknowledge existential risks posed by advanced AI and call for an immediate halt to the superintelligence race.
Fellow Activists Withdraw
Reichstadter isn’t new to dramatic protests. Earlier this year, he chained open doors at OpenAI’s office and staged demonstrations at Google DeepMind. This time, he had company – Michael Trazzi and Denys Sheremet began parallel hunger strikes outside DeepMind’s London office.
But the solidarity has fractured. On Monday, Sheremet ended his strike after 16 days without calories. Trazzi confirmed his withdrawal the following day. Sheremet wrote that he still hopes DeepMind leadership will “make a first step towards de-escalating the race towards extremely dangerous AI.” Reichstadter now stands alone in his extended fast.
Company Silence and Public Attention
Anthropic has maintained public silence about the protest, despite Reichstadter’s insistence that Amodei meet with him personally. The company markets itself as an industry leader on AI safety, but Reichstadter accuses it of spreading “the lie that the race to superintelligence can be done ‘safely’ or ‘responsibly.'”
Local media outlets like the San Francisco Standard and SFGate have documented the vigil. The protest highlights the growing divide between AI labs focused on scaling models and activists who view the effort as an existential gamble. On forums like the Effective Altruism Forum, Reichstadter’s opening statement called for immediate cessation of “reckless actions” by Anthropic.
Uncertain Outcome
Whether the fast will force public debate or end in personal tragedy remains unclear. Hunger strikes aim to shock public conscience, but their effectiveness depends on whether the surrounding community chooses to pay attention. After 24 days, Reichstadter continues wagering his health on that chance.
The situation raises difficult questions about protest tactics in the AI safety movement. Some might wonder if extreme measures actually advance the conversation or simply create additional risks. Others might see it as a necessary escalation when facing what protesters perceive as existential threats.
For now, the delivery riders continue their daily routes, bringing meals to the very developers Reichstadter believes are endangering humanity. The contrast between his voluntary starvation and their sustained nourishment creates a stark visual metaphor outside the company’s headquarters.
