The suspect also made threats outside the Silicon Valley headquarters of Altman’s startup OpenAI.
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A 20-year-old man attempted on April 10 to firebomb the San Francisco mansion of Sam Altman, a tech guru behind ChatGPT known for pushing artificial intelligence forward while also warning of the doomsday scenarios it could bring.
The suspect around 4 a.m. “threw an incendiary destructive device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate,” according to San Francisco police. The suspect also made threats outside the headquarters of Open AI, Altman’s Bay Area artificial intelligence startup. Police have not released the suspect’s name or motivation.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt. We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.
San Francisco police in a statement to USA TODAY declined to answer whether the suspect has been charged with a crime.
“We have no further information at this time for this open and active investigation,” said department spokesperson Officer Paulina Henderson.
The attack on Altman’s home comes as OpenAI has faced backlash for attempting to strike a deal with the government for it to use the company’s technology in classified operations.
Altman has become prominent for simultaneously pushing artificial intelligence forward while also warning the emerging technology could pose an “existential risk.”
Contributing: Reuters