A man identified as Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, traveled from Texas to San Francisco with the alleged intent to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, authorities announced. Moreno-Gama is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home early Friday morning, setting an exterior gate alight. Less than an hour later, he allegedly went to OpenAI’s headquarters, approximately three miles away, and threatened to burn down the building and kill anyone inside. Surveillance video images show a person, identified by the FBI as Moreno-Gama, tossing the incendiary device at Altman’s driveway gate and later using a chair to hit glass doors at OpenAI headquarters.

Authorities recovered incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a blue lighter, and a document from Moreno-Gama upon his arrest. This document reportedly outlined his views opposing artificial intelligence (AI) and its purported risk to humanity, including concerns about "our impending extinction." It also contained explicit threats against Altman, with Moreno-Gama allegedly writing, "Also if I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message."

Moreno-Gama faces severe legal consequences, including state and federal charges. In California state court, he is charged with two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson, with prosecutors alleging he tried to kill both Altman and a security guard at the residence. These state charges carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison. Federally, he has been charged with possession of an unregistered firearm and damage and destruction of property by means of explosives, which carry respective penalties of up to 10 and 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian stated that authorities would treat this incident as an act of domestic terrorism, prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law.

No one was injured during the attacks at Altman’s home or the company offices. Advocacy groups that have previously raised warnings about AI’s risks condemned the violence, asserting that "violence and intimidation of any kind have no place in the conversation about the future of AI." While Moreno-Gama had been a member of the PauseAI Discord forum, posting about 34 messages over two years, none were explicit calls to violence, though one was flagged as "ambiguous." Discord has since banned Moreno-Gama for "off-platform behavior."

Hours after the attack, Sam Altman addressed the threats in a blog post, sharing a photo of his husband and their toddler. He expressed his hope that sharing a private photo might deter future attacks, regardless of opinions about him. Altman acknowledged that "fear and anxiety about AI is justified" but urged for a de-escalation of rhetoric and tactics to reduce "explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally."

The incident occurs amidst a growing societal debate about the impacts of AI, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. A recent Stanford University AI index report indicated that while most people believe AI's benefits outweigh its drawbacks, "nervousness is growing and trust in institutions to manage the technology remains uneven."