Sam Altman’s assailant possessed a kill list of AI executives, experts warn this is merely the start

(SeaPRwire) –   OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s residence in San Francisco was targeted in two separate assaults over a three-day period—initially with a Molotov cocktail, followed by gunfire. Authorities state the first incident was driven by animosity toward artificial intelligence, signaling a significant intensification of anti-AI feelings.

On Friday, a 20-year-old man, who had reportedly shared anti-AI views on a personal Substack, is accused of hurling a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home overnight. A federal complaint claims the suspect, Daniel Moreno-Gama, aimed to kill Altman and subsequently attempted to ignite OpenAI’s nearby headquarters. On his purported Substack, Moreno-Gama forecasted that AI would lead to human extinction. Upon arrest, he was allegedly in possession of a “manifesto” outlining his anti-AI convictions and enumerating other AI executives, the complaint states.

Two days later, a 25-year-old and a 23-year-old allegedly fired shots at Altman’s house from a vehicle before driving away. The two individuals were later captured. It remains uncertain whether Altman was their specific target.

These events represent the most prominent assaults on an AI company CEO so far, occurring against a backdrop of growing backlash—at times violent—directed at data centers and those upholding AI’s physical infrastructure.

The complaints driving anti-AI sentiment are wide-ranging and interconnected. Creative professionals—including writers, illustrators, voice actors, and musicians—contend the technology is already displacing them, having been trained on their work without permission or payment. Localities near proposed data centers are resisting these facilities due to their massive consumption of electricity and water, which burdens local utilities and vies with residents for resources in areas already facing drought or outdated infrastructure.

Others express concern over a more existential danger: that ever-more-powerful systems might evade human oversight. This apprehension is fueled by leading researchers who have cautioned that AI threatens humanity’s continued existence.

Echoes of the Industrial Revolution

The assaults on Altman indicate a rising trend of violence. Earlier this month, an individual fired 13 rounds at the home of an Indianapolis city councilmember who had endorsed a data center project, leaving a note reading “no data centers.” Additionally, a Missouri town of roughly 12,000 people near St. Louis ousted all sitting town council members last week following their approval of a data center development, as reported by Politico.

Aleksandar Tomic, an economist and associate dean for strategy, innovation, and technology at Boston College, stated that the increasing threats against AI recall the disruption brought about by the second Industrial Revolution over a century ago.

“While it’s easy to dismiss this as the act of a disturbed individual—which it likely is—I believe we are witnessing parallels to that era,” Tomic said. “Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace. Many people are experiencing significant anxiety, yet our institutions are slow to adapt. And Sam Altman, for better or worse, has become the public face of AI.”

Reflecting on the last period of such rapid technological transformation, Tomic noted, “it took us about 50 years to figure it out, and two world wars.”

The second Industrial Revolution, spanning from the late 19th to early 20th century, catalyzed enormous societal shifts as populations moved from rural areas to cities in nations like the U.S. Many who once worked the land transitioned to long hours in confined, frequently hazardous factories, growing to resent the industrialists who owned them. This turmoil helped spawn the political ideologies of communism and anarchism, alongside the nascent labor movement.

Tomic contends we are now in a comparable epoch of technological transformation, with changes potentially more acute due to AI’s swift progress.

“It’s occurring much faster and on a far grander scale,” he remarked.

Public sentiment turns against AI

A Stanford report released Monday suggests public opinion may be shifting against AI. The global proportion of people feeling “nervous” about AI products and services rose by 2 percentage points to 52% in 2025. In the U.S., 64% of surveyed individuals expressed nervousness about the technology, exceeding the global average by over 10 points.

This trend likely relates to AI’s speedy evolution and the Stanford study’s finding that nearly two-thirds of Americans anticipate the technology will reduce job availability in the next two decades.

AI industry leaders largely concur. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has previously estimated AI will eradicate half of all white-collar jobs. On Monday, Anthropic cofounder Jack Clark expanded on this, forecasting profound AI-driven transformations.

“If our assumptions are right, this technology will profoundly alter the world. It will transform business creation, operations, national security, and even human relationships. It’s inconceivable that such changes wouldn’t also substantially reshape the economy,” Clark stated at the Semafor World Economy conference.

To address potential widespread job losses, Tomic asserted that government intervention will be necessary, similar to the establishment of Social Security last century amid widespread poverty and shifting U.S. demographics, which included the decline of multigenerational households. Further reforms this time could include decoupling health insurance from employers—the primary source for most Americans—as traditional employment grows less stable.

“Beyond simply ensuring we deploy the technology, we must prioritize people. Otherwise, I believe we are already witnessing negative consequences,” he said.

In a blog post after the initial attack on his home, Altman expressed a degree of understanding for anti-AI perspectives. He wrote that fears surrounding AI are valid, as it may precipitate the most substantial societal shift in history. He also advocated for “new policy” to “help navigate through a difficult economic transition.”

Nevertheless, he maintained that technological advancement will ultimately make the future “unbelievably good” and urged for constructive criticism and dialogue on the subject.

“As we engage in that debate, we should lower the intensity of our language and methods and strive for fewer explosions in fewer homes, both metaphorically and in reality,” he wrote.