OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses Molotov cocktail attack and AI backlash

Hours after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at his San Francisco home, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to criticism of artificial intelligence that appears to have been behind the attack.

In a lengthy blog post, Altman shared a family photo of her husband and child, saying he hopes it might convince people not to repeat the attack despite their opinions of him.

San Francisco police arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with Friday morning’s attack, but have not publicly commented on his motives. Altman and his company, the creator of ChatGPT, have been at the center of a heated debate over whether AI would change the world for better or worse.

“While we have this debate, we should defuse the rhetoric and tactics and try to reduce the number of explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally,” Altman wrote.

The rise of AI chatbots capable of generating text, images and code has raised concerns about whether there are enough guardrails around the development of this powerful technology.

From job cuts to the effects of AI on mental health and war, critics have voiced their fears. Families have also sued tech companies, including OpenAI and Google, alleging in lawsuits that their chatbots contributed to their loved ones’ deaths. OpenAI faced backlash after reaching a deal with the Department of Defense shortly after rival Anthropic raised AI safety concerns and lost its contract.

Politicians in California and other states have passed new laws targeting AI safety. And groups that aim to stop AI development have regularly protested outside OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco.

In the blog post, Altman acknowledged that the fear and anxiety surrounding AI was “justified” because “we are witnessing the biggest societal shift in a long time, and perhaps ever.” But he also said people will do “incredible things” with AI and that “technological progress can make the future incredibly good.”

Altman has become a controversial figure as companies race to advance AI. In 2023, OpenAI’s board of directors fired Altman, stating that he was not “always candid” in his communications with the board and that board members had lost confidence in his ability to lead the company. OpenAI’s mission is to “ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity,” the board said at the time. Facing pressure from its employees and investors, OpenAI reinstated Altman as chief executive less than a week after his ouster. A new board of directors was put in place and members who supported Altman’s ouster left.

Altman said in the blog post that he had made mistakes and done things he wasn’t proud of, describing himself as “conflict averse.”

“I am not proud that I behaved poorly in a conflict with our previous board that led to a huge disaster for the company,” he wrote.

Since its return, OpenAI has expanded its presence in healthcare, retail, defense and other industries. But controversy followed the company. OpenAI is currently engaged in a legal battle with billionaire Elon Musk, who has accused the company of abandoning its founding nonprofit mission in a case that is expected to go to trial. Musk, OpenAI’s co-founder and early investor, alleges he was manipulated into funding what he thought was a nonprofit but turned into a “money-making business.” OpenAI alleges that Musk, who runs rival xAI, is taking legal action to slow down a competitor.

Last week, the New Yorker published a long article about Altman that questioned whether he could be trusted.

In his blog post, Altman referenced an “inflammatory article” published about him, but did not name the publication, adding that “words have power.” OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. On the social media site

Altman said the attack happened at 3:45 a.m. Friday, but the Molotov cocktail “bounced off the house and no one was hurt.”

The San Francisco Police Department and OpenAI previously confirmed the attack on Friday. The suspect allegedly made threats against OpenAI headquarters after the attack at Altman’s home.

Several media outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, identified the suspect as Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama.

Moreno-Gama was arrested Friday on suspicion of making criminal threats, arson, attempted murder, possession of a destructive device and other charges. The Chronicle also cited a sub-pile that appears to come from the suspect and includes messages titled “AI Existential Risk.”

The Times asked San Francisco police on Saturday whether the account belonged to the suspect.

“At this time we have no further updates to provide,” the ministry said in an email.