San Francisco police have arrested a suspect accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the home of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and later making threats outside the company’s headquarters, authorities said Friday.
According to a statement from OpenAI, the early morning incident did not result in any injuries.
“Thankfully, no one was hurt,” the company said. “We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe. The individual is in custody, and we’re assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Altman has not publicly commented on the incident.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers first responded around 4:12 a.m. local time to a residence in the city’s North Beach neighborhood after receiving reports of a fire.
Investigators determined that an unidentified man had thrown an “incendiary destructive device” at the home, igniting a fire on an exterior gate before fleeing the scene on foot. Police circulated a description of the suspect to officers across the city.
Less than an hour later, at approximately 5:07 a.m., officers responded to another call involving a man allegedly threatening to burn down a building on the 1400 block of 3rd Street — the location of OpenAI’s headquarters at 1455 3rd Street.
When officers arrived, they recognized the individual as the same suspect connected to the earlier fire incident and quickly detained him.
Police described the suspect as a 20-year-old man. Authorities said charges are still pending and the case remains an active investigation.
While the police department’s statement did not specifically mention Altman or OpenAI, police dispatch audio reviewed by NBC News reportedly included a call describing the incident as someone throwing “a Molotov cocktail slash sticky bomb at the gate of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI’s residence.”
The arrest was first reported by technology publication Wired.
The incident comes at a time of increasing public scrutiny surrounding artificial intelligence companies, including debates about the technology’s economic impact, safety risks and regulatory oversight.
OpenAI said it is cooperating with law enforcement as investigators continue to examine the motive behind the attack.