The company that brought you ChatGPT and kicked off the great AI arms race operates out of a building in SF that functions less like a tech campus and more like a government black site with better catering. Getting inside requires navigating layers of security, NDAs, and the general aura of a company that simultaneously wants to "benefit all of humanity" while making sure humanity doesn't peek behind the curtain too closely.

Look, we're not anti-innovation. San Francisco should be thrilled that the hottest company in tech chose to stay here rather than flee to Miami or Austin like half the city's tax base already has. OpenAI reportedly employs hundreds of people locally, and those are real paychecks flowing into real SF landlords' pockets — er, into the local economy.

But there's something worth flagging about a company valued north of $150 billion that operates with the transparency of a Cold War submarine. OpenAI has lobbied aggressively on AI regulation at both the state and federal level, pushed for frameworks that — funny enough — tend to benefit incumbents like themselves, and accepted billions from Microsoft while claiming nonprofit roots. When you're that influential in shaping policy, the public deserves more than a locked door and a press release.

The broader question for San Francisco is whether we're comfortable being the home base for companies whose products could reshape the economy, the labor market, and civil liberties — all while operating like they're developing classified weapons systems. At least defense contractors have congressional oversight.

We want OpenAI here. We want the jobs, the tax revenue, and yes, the prestige. But a city that's been burned by tech promises before — anyone remember the "sharing economy" was supposed to help everyone? — should demand a seat at the table, not just a view of the building from the sidewalk.