Texas man accused of firebombing Sam Altman’s home over A.I. fears

Federal prosecutors said Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, of Spring, Texas, drove to San Francisco intending to kill Sam Altman, then escalated from a firebombing at the OpenAI chief executive’s home to threats outside the company’s headquarters. Authorities said the device he allegedly threw at Altman’s residence on April 10 sparked a fire on an exterior gate, but no one was injured.

Investigators said Moreno-Gama was arrested about an hour later outside OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters after allegedly trying to break the glass doors with a chair and saying he had come to burn down the building and kill anyone inside. Prosecutors said he was carrying incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a blue lighter and a document titled “Your Last Warning.”

That document, according to the Justice Department, argued against A.I. and called for violence against executives and investors in the industry. Prosecutors said it listed names and addresses that purported to belong to multiple CEOs and investors, and also admitted to attempting to kill the victim CEO while urging others to join his movement. Law enforcement later learned that Moreno-Gama emailed a version of the document to representatives at his former college in Texas on the same day as the alleged attacks.

The federal charges announced April 13 included attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Violence cannot be the norm for expressing disagreement, be it with politics or a technology or any other matter.” U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said prosecutors would treat the case as domestic terrorism if the evidence showed the attacks were intended to coerce public policy.

OpenAI said no one was hurt and thanked San Francisco police for responding quickly. The attack came amid heightened tension around the company after its February deal with the Department of Defense drew scrutiny and activists protested outside OpenAI offices. It also followed a separate incident at Altman’s home on Sunday, April 12, when two people were arrested for allegedly firing shots near the residence, deepening fears about the security risks facing high-profile figures in artificial intelligence.