Man Who Wanted To Kill Sam Altman Was Motivated By AI Fears

Prosecutors say the suspect, who allegedly targeted OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman in a Molotov cocktail attack at his home, was driven by hostility toward artificial intelligence and fears that the technology posed an existential threat to humanity, and that he had prepared a document outlining his intentions as well as a list of additional technology executives, board members and investors

A man accused of throwing a lit Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman last week intended to kill him and was motivated by hatred of artificial intelligence technology, prosecutors said on Monday.

The suspect, Daniel Moreno-Gama, is being charged with attempted murder, the San Francisco District Attorney said. He also faces federal charges including attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“The charges announced today reflect a deeply concerning escalation from intent to action targeting a private residence and a technology company with violence,” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo said in a statement.

In a press conference, Cobo said, “This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious.”

According to a federal complaint filed on Monday, officers recovered a document in Moreno-Gama’s possession after his arrest that detailed his intentions. The document indicated his aim to kill Altman and warned of humanity’s “impending extinction” from artificial intelligence.

Altman is not directly named in the filing, but it refers to “Victim-1” as the chief executive of “a research companys that deploys and develops artificial intelligence (AI) and operates in interstate and foreign commerce.”

In a section titled “Your Last Warning,” Moreno-Gama said he “killed /attempted to kill” Victim-1 and listed names and addresses of several other artificial intelligence executives, board members and investors, the complaint said.

A second section, titled “some more words on the matter of our impending extinction,” outlined what the suspect described as risks posed by AI. He concluded the document with a letter to Altman, stating that “if by some miracle you live, then I would take this as a sign from the divine to redeem yourself.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency and its partners conducted an operation in Texas related to the attack.

According to the complaint, Moreno-Gama threw “a lit Molotov cocktail-style incendiary device at” Altman’s home at about 3:37 a.m. on Friday, causing a fire at the top of a driveway gate. No injuries were reported and the suspect fled.

He later arrived at OpenAI’s headquarters around 5:00 a.m., where he allegedly threw a chair at glass doors and threatened to “burn it down and kill anyone inside,” before being arrested, the filing said.

An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack and said, “Thankfully, no one was hurt.”

“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,” the company said. “The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”

Altman addressed the incident in a post on his personal blog, saying he “underestimated the power of words and narratives,” and called for reduced “rhetoric and tactics” in the artificial intelligence industry.

Authorities said a second incident involving gunfire occurred at Altman’s home on Sunday, with two people arrested.

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