SAN FRANCISCO — A 20-year-old individual is in custody after allegedly hurling a firebomb at the residence of Sam Altman, the chief executive of artificial intelligence company OpenAI, according to law enforcement and company officials.
San Francisco police responded to Altman’s home around 4 a.m. Friday following reports that someone had lobbed an explosive device at the property, igniting an outdoor gate before escaping on foot, authorities reported.
Within an hour of the initial incident, law enforcement received another call about a man making arson threats against a commercial building in a different part of the city. When officers arrived, they identified the individual as the same person from the earlier attack and took him into custody, the police department announced on social media.
The artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT issued a statement verifying that the targeted residence belongs to Altman and that the subsequent threats occurred at their corporate offices. The company reported no injuries from either incident and confirmed they are cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Law enforcement has not yet filed formal charges or disclosed information about the detained suspect, including his identity or what may have motivated the attacks.
“We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,” OpenAI wrote in a statement.
As OpenAI’s co-founder and chief executive, Altman has emerged as one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent figures discussing both the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence technology. In 2023, the company’s board terminated him after determining he had not been “consistently candid in his communications” with directors, though he was reinstated within days under new board leadership.
The tech executive has drawn both supporters and critics, and these incidents follow the recent publication of a detailed New Yorker investigation exploring various concerns surrounding both Altman and his company.
