San Francisco police on Friday arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home in the city and for making threats outside the artificial intelligence startup's headquarters, the AI company said on Friday.
Later in the day, Sam Altman shared a rare photo of his family in a first reaction after a man was arrested for throwing a Molotov cocktail at his California home, where he lives with his partner and child.
In a post on X, the San Francisco Police Department initially confirmed that an unknown male threw an incendiary device at a North Beach residence, with the incident being reported at 4:12 am. The suspect then escaped on foot after causing fire on the exterior gate of the building.
“At approximately 5:07 am, SFPD officers responded to a business on the 1400 block of 3rd street regarding an unknown male subject threatening to burn down the building. When officers arrived on scene, they recognized the male to be the same suspect from the earlier incident and immediately detained him,” the police department said.
While police said they had identified a probable cause during initial investigation to place the man under arrest, they did not share what exactly it was. Further probe into the incident is still on.
However, the suspect's attack and threat to set fire to OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters come as Altman's profile has risen with the increasing use of AI, amid fears it could massively disrupt employment patterns and cause irreversible societal changes.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack on the chief executive's residence and the threats to the San Francisco headquarters.
“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 spokesperson said, adding that the company is assisting law enforcement agencies with their investigation.
Sam Altman breaks silence
Hours after the incident, Sam Altman broke his silence in a blog, sharing a rare photo of his family.
“Here is a photo of my family. I love them more than anything,” Altman wrote in the blog post shared on X, with an image of his partner and child.
He said he hoped that the image would discourage the next potential person to attack his home.
“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,” the OpenAI CEO wrote.
He noted that the Molotov cocktail thrown at his house “bounced off” and injured no one.
“Words have power too. There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago. Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside,” Altman said.
“Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives,” he added.
The incident came as OpenAI faces intense pressure. The company recently faced backlash over its move to strike a deal with the US government to let it use its technology in classified military operations
