OpenAI CEO’s California Home Hit by Molotov Cocktail, Man Arrested
United States: A Molotov cocktail hit the luxury San Francisco home of OpenAI boss Sam Altman on Friday, the company said, as police announced the arrest of a suspect.
No one was injured in the incident, and the company behind the popular ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot did not confirm whether the CEO was at home at the time.
The reason for the attack and subsequent threat to set fire to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters (apparently by the same 20-year-old man) was not immediately known.
But these come as Altman’s profile rises as the use of Artificial Intelligence increases, amid fears it could massively disrupt employment patterns and cause irreversible societal changes.
San Francisco police responded after reports that someone tried to set fire to the door of the sprawling home.
A statement from the San Francisco Police Department said officers were sent to the home just after 4:00 a.m. (11:00 GMT).
“At the scene, officers learned that an unknown male subject threw an incendiary, destructive device into a residence, causing a fire at the exterior door. The suspect then fled on foot,” SFPD said. he said.
Shortly after, they were called to the firm’s office, where a man was making threats.
The statement said about the 20-year-old suspect, whose name was not disclosed: “When the police arrived at the scene, they realized that the male was the suspect from the previous incident and immediately detained him.”
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack on the chief executive’s residence and threats to its San Francisco headquarters.
“The individual is in custody and we are assisting law enforcement with their investigation,” the spokesman told AFP.
– Artificial intelligence for war –
Altman and OpenAI have become targets of people protesting AI as a threat to society.
Detractors were particularly upset by OpenAI’s decision to provide its technology to the US Department of Defense.
In a rare post on her personal blog, Altman shared a photo of her husband and their baby “in the hope that it will deter the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house.”
The OpenAI chief defended his beliefs and called for the rhetoric to be toned down.
“I empathize with anti-technology sentiments and see clearly that technology is not always good for everyone,” Altman wrote.
“But overall, I believe that technological progress can make the future incredibly good for your family and mine.”
OpenAI announced last month that it was valued at $852 billion, following a funding round that raised $122 billion.
The figure reflects the rising costs of computing power and comes amid ongoing questions about whether OpenAI and rival companies will be able to generate enough revenue to cover the costs.
ChatGPT is at the top of consumer AI, with more than 900 million weekly active users and nearly 50 million subscribers.
According to OpenAI, usage of ChatGPT’s online search engine has tripled in a year.
