Police arrest suspect after attack at Sam Altman’s home and threats at OpenAI HQ

In short: San Francisco police arrested a suspect after an alleged attack at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and threats outside OpenAI’s headquarters.

What happened

San Francisco police arrested a suspect early Friday morning after an incident involving Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, according to a spokesperson who spoke to WIRED.

OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood said someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home. A Molotov cocktail is a homemade firebomb, usually a bottle filled with flammable liquid with a cloth wick (like a dangerous, improvised torch). Wood also said the same person made threats outside OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco.

OpenAI told employees about the incident in a note sent on Friday. The company said no one was hurt. OpenAI also said it appreciated how quickly the San Francisco Police Department responded, and that the person involved is now in custody. The company said it is helping law enforcement with the investigation.

Why it matters

OpenAI is one of the most closely watched companies in artificial intelligence, and Altman is a public face of the industry. Incidents like this can affect how companies think about safety for employees and offices, especially as AI tools become more visible and more debated in public life.

Source: Wired