Man charged with attempted murder after Molotov cocktail thrown at home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman | US News

A man who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been charged with attempted murder.

The FBI claims Daniel Moreno-Gama was captured on CCTV hurling the incendiary device towards the entrepreneur’s property in California and setting a gate on fire.

Less than an hour later, the 20-year-old allegedly then travelled to the company’s headquarters and threatened to burn down the building.

Court documents suggest Moreno-Gama is opposed to artificial intelligence and believes the technology will contribute to “our impending extinction”.

OpenAI is the maker of ChatGPT, one of the world’s most popular chatbots.

It is believed the suspect travelled from Texas, with FBI Special Agent Matt Cobo saying: “This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious.”

Moreno-Gama is due to appear in court later today and could face life in prison if convicted.

Surveillance footage appeared to show a person dressed in a dark hoodie approaching Altman’s driveway before tossing the Molotov cocktail.

Meanwhile, at OpenAI’s headquarters, a suspect is seen grabbing a chair and using it to hit a set of glass doors.

Security guards who confronted him told investigators that he “stated in sum and substance” that he intended “to burn it down and kill anyone inside”.

Incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a lighter and a document were allegedly recovered when Moreno-Gama was arrested by police in San Francisco. No one was injured.

US Attorney Craig Missakian has said authorities “will treat this as domestic terrorism, and together with our partners, prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law”.

Advocacy groups campaigning against artificial intelligence have condemned the incident, and say “violence and intimidation of any kind have no place in the conversation about the future of AI”.

Hours after the attack, Altman had posted a picture of his husband and their toddler in a blog post.

“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,” he wrote.

While the billionaire said “fear and anxiety about AI is justified”, he said it is important to “de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally”.

OpenAI has been facing growing scrutiny for its role in national security, including criticism of a proposed deal with the US government that would allow its technology to be used in classified military operations.