Molotov Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Home Amid Rising AI Discontent
In the early hours of 10 April, a man approached the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's residence in San Francisco and hurled a molotov cocktail at the building before fleeing the scene. The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, was arrested less than two hours later while allegedly attempting to break into the headquarters of OpenAI with a jug of kerosene, a lighter, and an anti-AI manifesto.
Federal and California state authorities have charged Moreno-Gama with a range of serious crimes, including attempted arson and attempted murder. His parents issued a statement this week, revealing that their son had recently suffered a mental health crisis. Moreno-Gama, who has not yet entered a plea, faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Escalating Violence Against Artificial Intelligence Leaders
The targeting of Altman and OpenAI occurs as widespread discontent against artificial intelligence grows, marking the most prominent attack so far against a person or business related to the technology. Moreno-Gama had a history of posting anti-AI sentiment online, including references to violent acts against tech CEOs.
Altman addressed the incident in a blogpost last weekend, alongside criticism from a recent New Yorker profile. He called for a de-escalation of the debate around artificial intelligence and shared a photo of his family, including his infant daughter, in an effort to humanise the situation.
"Images have power, I hope. Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me," Altman posted.
Two days after the molotov cocktail incident, San Francisco police arrested two individuals after they allegedly fired shots from a car outside Altman's home. Authorities released the pair from custody on Thursday and have not charged either with a crime, though further investigation is ongoing.
Details of the Attack and Subsequent Arrest
According to the federal criminal complaint, Moreno-Gama allegedly traveled from his home in a suburb of Houston, Texas, to San Francisco to carry out the attack. Surveillance images from Altman's home show the alleged assailant walking up the driveway with a flaming molotov cocktail in one hand and throwing it at the house. The firebomb bounced off the building, and no one was harmed, with Altman noting the attack occurred at 3.45am.
After leaving Altman's house, Moreno-Gama showed up at OpenAI's headquarters around 5am, approximately 3 miles away. He reportedly attempted to smash the entrance doors with a chair before being confronted by security. Moreno-Gama then told security that he planned to burn the building down and kill anyone inside, according to the complaint.
When officers from the San Francisco police department arrived and arrested Moreno-Gama, they allegedly found incendiary devices, kerosene, and a document condemning AI and calling for the killing of CEOs involved with the technology.
Manifesto and Legal Proceedings
Moreno-Gama's manifesto contained three sections, as detailed in the complaint. The first, entitled "Your Last Warning", included a vow to kill a list of AI CEOs, board members, and investors. The second described "our impending destruction" and the threat of AI wiping out humanity. The document's last section was directly addressed to Altman, suggesting that if he survived the attack, he should take it as a divine sign to redeem himself.
Federal authorities described the attack as an escalation of violence against big tech and vowed to use the full force of law enforcement to prevent any acts of destruction against the industry. "The FBI will not tolerate threats against our nation's innovation leaders," they stated.
US attorney Craig Missakian said in a statement, "If the evidence shows that Mr Moreno-Gama executed these attacks to change public policy or to coerce government and other officials, we will treat this as an act of domestic terrorism." There is no specific federal domestic terrorism statute, and California does not have a state domestic terrorism law.
Diamond Ward, Moreno-Gama's public defender, has criticized law enforcement's description of the attack, arguing that Moreno-Gama has a history of autism and mental illness with no prior criminal record. Ward alleged the attack resulted from a mental health crisis rather than an attempt to harm.
"This case is clearly overcharged. This case is a property crime, at best," Ward said. "It is unfair and unjust for the San Francisco district attorney and the federal government to fearmonger and exploit this young man's vulnerability simply due to the high-profile status of the people involved."
Moreno-Gama's arraignment is set for 5 May, and he remains in custody without bail until then.
Background on the Suspect
Moreno-Gama lived in the area of Spring, Texas, north of Houston. Until recently, he had been attending classes at a community college and working at a restaurant, according to his parents, who claim he had been experiencing mental health issues leading up to the alleged attack.
"Our son Daniel is a loving person who has been suffering recently from a mental illness crisis," his parents said. "We have been trying our best to address these issues and get him effective treatment, and we are very concerned for his wellbeing. He is a very caring person and has never been arrested before."
Lone Star College confirmed to the Guardian that a student named Daniel Moreno-Gama was enrolled at the institution from June 2024 to mid-December of last year.
Moreno-Gama also left a sizable digital footprint, much of which appears dedicated to the risks that artificial intelligence poses against society. In posts online, he went by the username "Butlerian Jihadist", referencing the science fiction series Dune and its concept of a human uprising against thinking machines. He joined the public Discord chat forum for the organization PauseAI, which advocates for preventing the development of advanced artificial intelligence. The group has condemned the attack and stated that Moreno-Gama had no connection to PauseAI apart from his participation in its open chat forum.
"The suspect joined our public Discord server about two years ago. In that time, he posted a total of 34 messages. None contained explicit calls to violence. Our moderators nonetheless flagged one message as ambiguous and issued a warning out of caution," PauseAI said in a statement.
Moreno-Gama also joined another online forum run by Stop AI, a group that seeks to oppose artificial intelligence through nonviolent activism. A representative for Stop AI noted that he asked about violence and was warned before ceasing activities.
Apart from his engagement with activist groups, Moreno-Gama appeared to publish a Substack blog and make other anti-AI statements online. In one post as "Butlerian Jihadist", Moreno-Gama proposed "Luigi'ing some tech CEOs", referencing a controversial figure.
Earlier this year, Moreno-Gama's online activity drew the attention of producers at the podcast The Last Invention, who interviewed him in January for an episode about people radically opposed to AI. During the interview, he discussed his fixation on AI as an existential threat but stated that violent acts were not practical when asked about harming figures like Sam Altman.
