夜雨聆风Suspect Arrested After Molotov Cocktail Attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco Home
San Francisco, April 10, 2026 — A 20-year-old man was arrested Friday after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and later threatening to burn down the company's headquarters, according to police and company statements.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded to a fire investigation at Altman's North Beach residence around 4:12 a.m. local time. At the scene, officers found that an "incendiary destructive device" had been thrown at the home, causing a fire at the exterior gate before the suspect fled on foot. No injuries were reported.
Approximately one hour later, around 5:07 a.m., police responded to a call about a man threatening to burn down a building in the area of OpenAI's headquarters. Officers recognized the suspect as the same individual from the earlier incident and immediately detained him. The 20-year-old suspect is now in custody, and OpenAI is assisting law enforcement with their investigation.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the attack and expressed gratitude for the police response. "Thankfully, no one was hurt. We deeply appreciate how quickly SFPD responded and the support from the city in helping keep our employees safe," the statement read.
Motive Unclear, But Incident Follows Rising Anti-AI Sentiment and Military Contract Controversy
Authorities have not yet disclosed the suspect's motive. According to ABC News, it remains unclear whether the incident is linked to mental health issues, a disgruntled former employee, or other factors.
However, the attack comes amid intensifying public criticism of OpenAI. The company recently faced significant backlash after it signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to allow its AI technology to be used in classified military operations. The deal was struck shortly after rival AI firm Anthropic refused to agree to unconditional military use of its Claude AI models, prompting a dispute with Washington.
The defense contract sparked an online backlash, including a "delete ChatGPT" campaign and a wave of subscription cancellations, as many users and employees expressed concern over potential domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons applications.This incident marks the second known threat against OpenAI's headquarters in recent months; in November 2025, an anti-AI activist threatened to "kill people" at the office, leading to a temporary closure.
Altman Responds: Calls for De-escalation
Later on Friday, Altman published a blog post addressing the incident, sharing a photo of his family — including his spouse and young son — in an effort to humanize the situation.
"I love my family more than anything in the world," Altman wrote. "While I usually value my privacy, I'm sharing this photo to prevent the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our home."
He acknowledged the broader concerns driving criticism of the AI industry, writing: "A lot of the criticism of our industry comes from sincere concern about the incredibly high stakes of this technology. These are valid concerns, and we welcome constructive criticism and dialogue."
However, he urged restraint: "While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally."
针对OpenAI CEO山姆·奥特曼旧金山住所的燃烧瓶袭击：20岁嫌疑人被捕
【旧金山，2026年4月10日讯】 周五凌晨，一名20岁男子因涉嫌向OpenAI首席执行官山姆·奥特曼位于旧金山的住所投掷燃烧瓶，并在该公司总部发出纵火威胁而被警方逮捕。
旧金山警察局表示，警员于凌晨4时12分左右接到北滩一处住宅的火灾调查警情。到场后发现一名男子向该住宅投掷"燃烧破坏装置"，导致外部大门起火，嫌疑人随后徒步逃离现场。事件中无人受伤。
约一小时后，凌晨5时07分左右，警方接到报警，称一名男子在OpenAI总部附近威胁要烧毁大楼。警员到场后确认该男子与此前奥特曼住宅纵火案系同一人，随即将其拘留。目前这名20岁嫌疑人已被羁押，OpenAI正协助执法部门进行调查。
OpenAI发言人证实了此次袭击，并对警方表示感谢。声明称："所幸无人受伤。我们非常感谢旧金山警察局迅速出警以及市政府在保障员工安全方面提供的支持。"
作案动机尚不明确，但事件发生于反AI情绪高涨和军事合同争议之际
当局尚未披露嫌疑人的作案动机。据ABC新闻报道，目前尚不清楚此事件是否与精神健康问题、前员工不满或其他因素有关。
然而，此次袭击发生之际，OpenAI正面临日益激烈的公众批评。该公司近期因与美国国防部签署合同，允许其AI技术用于机密军事行动而遭到强烈反对。该协议是在竞争对手Anthropic拒绝同意其Claude AI模型无条件军用，并与华盛顿方面发生争执后数小时内达成的。
这份国防合同在网络上引发抵制浪潮，包括"删除ChatGPT"运动和大规模退订潮，许多用户和员工对潜在的国内监控及自主武器应用表达了担忧。这也是近几个月来针对OpenAI总部的第二起已知威胁——2025年11月，一名反AI活动人士曾威胁要"杀人"，导致办公楼临时关闭。
奥特曼回应：呼吁降温
周五晚些时候，奥特曼在其个人博客上发表文章回应此事，并附上一张家人合影——包括他的伴侣和年幼的儿子，试图以温情化解敌意。
奥特曼写道："我爱我的家人胜过世界上的一切。虽然我一向珍视隐私，但我分享这张照片，是希望能阻止下一个人向我们家投掷燃烧瓶。"
他承认行业面临批评的深层原因，写道："对我们行业的许多批评，源自对这项技术巨大风险的真诚担忧。这些都是合理的关切，我们欢迎建设性的批评和对话。"
但他同时呼吁克制："在我们进行这场辩论的同时，我们应该降低言辞和行动的激烈程度，让'爆炸'——无论是字面还是比喻意义上的——都更少发生。"
