The California home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was attacked early Friday morning when a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the property, police said, and a 20-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident. No one was injured.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers responded just after 4:00 a.m. local time following reports that an incendiary device had been thrown at a gate of Altman’s residence.
The suspect fled on foot but was later identified and detained at OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters, where he had reportedly made threats.
OpenAI confirmed the attack on its chief executive’s home and said it is cooperating with law enforcement. “The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation,” a company spokesperson said.
The motive behind the attack and the threats to OpenAI’s headquarters are not yet known, though Altman and his company have faced criticism over the potential societal impact of artificial intelligence, including its use by the U.S. Department of Defense.
In a rare personal blog post, Altman shared a photo of his husband and their baby, urging a de-escalation of anti-technology rhetoric. “I empathise with anti-technology sentiments and clearly technology isn’t always good for everyone,” he wrote. “But overall, I believe technological progress can make the future unbelievably good, for your family and mine.”
OpenAI, valued at $852 billion after a recent funding round, operates the popular ChatGPT AI chatbot, which now serves more than 900 million weekly active users, including roughly 50 million subscribers.
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