College Kids Paid To Protest OpenAI’s Sam Altman

Protesters gathered Wednesday outside the G20’s artificial intelligence-focused “Innovation” event in North Carolina — and some were paid to target OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, The Daily Wire has learned. 

Flyers posted on the University of North Carolina campus, where the event was taking place, offered students $30 and a premade sign to protest Altman. “Get Paid To Protest Sam Altman @ UNC,” the flyers read.

Altman attended the G20 Innovation Summit for a fireside chat with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 

The poster offered interested parties $30 and a premade sign — all they had to do was show up down the road for the conference at 9:30 a.m. The Daily Wire called the number listed on the flyer but received no response, and the number did not appear to have voicemail set up.

A UNC student told The Daily Wire that he saw the flyers on campus roughly a week before the protest, but said they were removed “after being up for a day or two.” He also said that a student posted on a UNC online chat on Yik Yak that they were given an excused absence from their professor to attend the protest. 

Hundreds of protesters ultimately gathered on campus carrying signs opposing AI, Flock surveillance cameras, Elon Musk, and Altman. The Daily Wire observed that the protesters targeting Altman generally appeared younger than those representing the other causes. The Altman protesters were predominantly clean-cut, college-aged men, some of whom appeared to have joined the demonstration between classes.

By contrast, the protesters opposing AI, Musk, and Flock Safety cameras were generally older than traditional college age and included both men and women, some with brightly colored hair. One protester had a lower-back tattoo that read, “Don’t take that sh*t too seriously.”

Fox News reported on Thursday that the “No Kings” network is also behind protests targeting data centers and Flock cameras. According to the report, “The money, media infrastructure, organizing capacity and campaign objectives … converge in the same ecosystem.”

The “No Kings” network has ties to organizations funded by pro-China tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, whose nonprofit network has faced scrutiny from Congress and federal agencies.

One of the anti-AI protesters told The Daily Wire that he opposes AI but also criticizes the Iran War and pushes for Medicare for all. He has also focused on the controversy over the Epstein files. He said he was against AI because of environmental concerns, including its water usage, pollution, and potential effect on fireflies.

“I want my daughter to be able to enjoy the beautiful public lands and the beautiful f*cking nature that I grew up with,” he said. “She’s never seen more than one f*cking firefly in her life. When I went outside when I was a kid, I saw thousands of fireflies. And my daughter will never experience that because we are destroying our f*cking planet.”

I’ve heard AI is taking our water, our electricity, but AI taking the fireflies was a new one.

“She’s never seen more than one f*cking firefly in her life. When I went outside when I was a kid, I saw thousands of fireflies.”

And my daughter will never experience that because… pic.twitter.com/20l3vKcDhl

— Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) September 3, 2026

The Daily Wire also spoke with two college students who attended the protest to express support for AI.

“I feel like it’s going to get me a job,” one student said. He argued that the protesters had created a “hive mentality” that left no room for debate.

Another student described the environment as “very hostile,” adding that there was “no conversation, just, ‘I support this, and I’m never going to change my opinion.’”