Protesters interrupt Seattle AI Week and float a banner on Elliott Bay

The Washington Technology Industry Association opened the third annual Seattle AI Week on Monday at AI House, and members of the Seattle climate group Troublemakers interrupted the opening panel on AI and economic growth several times before security led them out, GeekWire reported. Outside on Elliott Bay, others floated in kayaks with a banner reading Power for People, Not for Tech.

One protester told Beau Perschbacher, Gov. Bob Ferguson's senior policy advisor, that the people in the room were not his constituents. Perschbacher was on a panel with Joe Nguyen of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Mattie Zazueta of OpenAI, the event's presenting sponsor. WTIA's Nick Ellingson had said AI affects everyone and that all of us should be part of the conversation.

Members who spoke with GeekWire said the rush to build data centers and roll out AI is putting the state's communities, jobs and environment at risk, and that Washington should invest in green jobs and clean energy instead. The group has protested the tech industry's energy use before. In 2024 it blocked entrances at Amazon's Seattle headquarters.