OpenAI and Anthropic are ruining San Francisco

The city of San Francisco recently named a street after Art Agnos, one of its last noble leaders, and while addressing the crowd in his longtime neighborhood of Potrero Hill, the former mayor shared a clear vision for how to live as a responsible member of our community. Watch More The 39th mayor of San Francisco called himself a “neighbor” who “fulfilled the Ancient Greek promise of the Athenians when they became citizens of their city. They said ‘I promise to leave my city better than I found it.’” Friends of SFGATE enjoy ad-free reading and more in our new app. Friends of SFGATE enjoy ad-free reading and more in our new app. GET IT NOW I’m craving more outspoken calls for civic responsibility, especially from our current elected leaders in response to an emergency in affordability escalated by the artificial intelligence companies headquartered here. I demand they be held accountable. One industry is exacerbating our city’s ongoing troubles with having a low housing supply against a heavy demand. Article continues below this ad It’s time for Mayor Daniel Lurie to stand up to these companies, even though his political agenda is tech and business friendly. I recognize how his strategy has proved successful for improving downtown, as even the most ardent right-wing outlets are publishing favorable reports about San Francisco’s “resurrection.” And that AI companies undoubtedly accelerated this economic turnaround.

OpenAI has contributed $236 million in gross receipt taxes over the past several years, which is great for the city coffers, but the success has come with a damning cost. San Francisco has the fastest-growing rental rates in the country, pushing out local families and crushing affordable living throughout the Bay Area. It’s bad now, and it’s only going to get worse. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks to members of the press after officiating a wedding between Randy Garcia Martinez and Ted Huang at City Hall on June 26, 2026, in San Francisco. Heather Diehl/Getty Images The mayor of San Francisco needs to meet this moment and secure actual community investment beyond a trite catch phrase on social media. Article continues below this ad In fairness, Lurie at least tried to bring one company to the table.