Author: Curry, Shenchao TechFlow

Shenchao Guide: 20-year-old Texas man Daniel Moreno-Gama has been charged with throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's residence in San Francisco, facing multiple federal and state charges including attempted murder and arson.

Police found a document titled "Your Last Warning" on him, containing the names and addresses of several AI company CEOs and investors. The prosecution stated that if evidence shows that his actions were aimed at changing public policy, he will be prosecuted for domestic terrorism.

Image: Surveillance footage released by the U.S. Department of Justice of the suspect throwing a Molotov cocktail at Sam's home

At around 4 a.m. on April 10, Moreno-Gama threw a homemade Molotov cocktail outside Altman's residence in Russian Hill, San Francisco, igniting the exterior iron gate before fleeing on foot. Less than an hour later, he appeared at OpenAI's headquarters about 3 miles away, using a chair to smash the glass door and claimed to security personnel that he was there to "burn down the building and kill everyone inside." San Francisco police subsequently arrested him at the scene and discovered a burning device, a jug of kerosene, a lighter, and a three-part document on him.

This incident is the latest epitome of the rising security crisis in the AI industry. FBI San Francisco acting special agent Matt Cobo stated bluntly at a press conference on Monday that this "was not impulsive behavior, but planned, targeted, and extremely serious."

Image: After igniting the residence, the suspect attempted to vandalize OpenAI's front door

Document Content Exposed: Calls for the Killing of AI Company CEOs, Lists Multiple Names and Addresses

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice on April 13, the first part of the document carried by Moreno-Gama was titled "Your Last Warning," advocating against AI and promoting the killing of AI company CEOs and their investors, accompanied by claimed names and addresses of several CEOs and investors.

In the document, Moreno-Gama admitted to having "killed/tried to kill" Altman, and the second part was titled "More About Our Imminent Extinction," elaborating on his belief that AI poses a survival threat to humanity.

At the end of the document was a letter addressed to Altman, stating, "If you miraculously survive, I will take this as God's will, allowing you to redeem yourself." On the same day, Moreno-Gama also emailed a version of the document to his former university in Texas, which CNN reported was Lone Star College in Montgomery County, Texas.

According to an investigation by the SF Examiner, Moreno-Gama had been posting anti-AI content on Instagram and Substack as early as the summer of 2024. His Instagram account posted in December stating, "If we don't act soon, we will die; I am very sure of this." In January, an article published on his Substack described AI company CEOs as "likely antisocial/psychopathic" and labeled Altman "a pathological liar who is continuously reported."

Altman Responds with a Long Post: "I Underestimated the Power of Words and Narratives"

Hours after the attack, Altman posted a photo of his husband and young child on his personal blog, writing, "We usually care very much about privacy, but this time I share a photo in the hope of deterring the next person who might want to throw a Molotov cocktail at our home."

In the blog post, Altman acknowledged, "A few days ago, an incendiary article was written about me" (referring to a recent in-depth investigation published by The New Yorker), and someone reminded him that the article's publication coincided with a time of heightened public anxiety about AI, which could make him more dangerous. "I set this aside. Now I wake up in the middle of the night angry, starting to feel that I underestimated the power of words and narratives."

Altman also expressed understanding toward anti-technology sentiments, stating that the fears and anxieties brought about by AI are "reasonable," but called for all parties to "lower the intensity of rhetoric and means."

OpenAI called in a statement for addressing AI controversies "through the democratic process," welcoming "good-faith debates," but stated that "violence has no place in our democratic system."

Two Days Later, Residence Shot At Again, Intensifying Security Crisis for Silicon Valley Executives

Only two days after the Molotov cocktail attack, Altman's residence was targeted again.

According to a report from the San Francisco police, at around 2:56 a.m. on April 12, police received a report of a possible shooting in the Russian Hill neighborhood. According to initial police reports cited by SF Standard, a Honda sedan stopped in front of Altman's residence, and a passenger in the front seat extended an arm out of the window and fired a shot in the direction of the residence. According to Newsweek, the police later arrested 25-year-old Amanda Tom and 23-year-old Muhamad Tarik Hussein and found three firearms at their residence. Both were charged with "negligent discharge of a firearm."

An OpenAI spokesperson told Newsweek that the shooting incident was unrelated to Altman, with no signs indicating that his residence was the intended target. However, a noteworthy detail is that, according to SF Standard, Hussein's father lives in Spring, Texas, and Moreno-Gama's registered address is also in Spring. The police have not confirmed whether there is a connection between the two incidents.

Previously, on December 4, 2024, UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York, sparking widespread public discussion about the safety of corporate executives.

San Francisco District Attorney Jenkins criticized what she described as "incendiary rhetoric" about the potential impact of AI at a press conference, suggesting a causal chain between an extreme public discourse environment and violent actions against tech leaders.