San Francisco police have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of launching an early-morning firebomb attack on the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and making threats at the artificial intelligence company's headquarters.
The incident unfolded shortly after 4 a.m. Friday when authorities responded to Altman's residence after someone hurled a Molotov cocktail at an exterior gate, igniting it before fleeing on foot, according to San Francisco police.
Less than an hour later, officers were dispatched to a separate business location in the city where a man had allegedly threatened to burn down the building. Police recognized the suspect as the same individual involved in the earlier attack and took him into custody.
OpenAI confirmed in a statement that the targeted residence belongs to Altman and that threats were indeed made at the company's San Francisco headquarters. The statement emphasized that no one was injured in either incident and that OpenAI is cooperating fully with law enforcement.
"We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe," OpenAI said in a written statement.
Authorities have not yet filed charges against the suspect, and details regarding his identity and possible motivations remain undisclosed.
The attack arrives amid heightened scrutiny of Altman and OpenAI. The controversial tech leader has emerged as one of Silicon Valley's most prominent voices on artificial intelligence's potential benefits and risks. Altman was briefly removed as CEO in 2023 after an internal review determined he was "not consistently candid" with the board, but he was reinstated days later under a restructured board of directors.
Recently, The New Yorker published an extensive investigative piece that examined various concerns surrounding Altman and his company, adding to the ongoing public debate about his leadership and OpenAI's direction.
This article was adapted from reporting by CBC World and The Associated Press.