A 20-year-old man from Houston, Texas, has been charged with attempted murder and arson after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI — the company behind the widely used artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. Daniel Moreno-Gama faces two counts of attempted murder and nine additional state charges, as well as separate federal charges including attempted destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison.
According to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court, Moreno-Gama was captured on security camera hurling an incendiary device at Altman's residence shortly after 3:30am on Friday. He then travelled to OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters, where he struck the building's glass doors with a chair and told security personnel he intended to "burn it down and kill anyone inside." Police arrested him at the scene and recovered multiple incendiary devices, a container of kerosene, and a lighter. Also found on him was a self-authored document expressing opposition to artificial intelligence and to tech executives including Altman. The document stated that Moreno-Gama had killed or attempted to kill Altman and that he "must lead by example" to demonstrate the sincerity of his message. Prosecutors said he had travelled from Texas to California specifically to carry out the attacks.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins described the incident as a clear attempt on Altman's life and an "extreme danger" to those around him. US Attorney Craig Missakian indicated that if evidence shows the attacks were intended to coerce government officials or influence public policy, prosecutors may pursue domestic terrorism charges. "In no way should we be at the point where a man could have lost his life over differences of opinion and concerns," Jenkins said, adding criticism of what she called "incendiary rhetoric" surrounding AI.
The attack comes at a moment of intense public debate over artificial intelligence and the role of companies like OpenAI in shaping it. Altman has become a prominent and sometimes polarising figure in that conversation since ChatGPT's release in late 2022 triggered a wave of AI development. The company is also facing growing scrutiny over a proposed deal that would allow its technology to be used in classified US military operations. In a blog post following the attack, Altman acknowledged that concerns about AI's high stakes were often sincere, but called for a calmer public discourse. "We should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally," he wrote. The case underscores the real-world consequences that can follow from heated public debate over transformative — and deeply contested — technologies.