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Altman Molotov Suspect Faces Attempted Murder as Online Trail Emerges

The case spotlights how anti‑AI activism can harden into violence.

Overview

  • Prosecutors say Daniel Moreno-Gama threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s San Francisco home and then tried to force entry at OpenAI’s office while threatening to burn it, with no injuries reported.
  • Authorities report he traveled from Texas with a gun, a knife, ammunition, a Molotov device, and a written list that named AI executives and investors as targets.
  • He faces state and federal counts including two attempted murder charges and attempted arson, and a judge delayed his arraignment to May 5 after an initial court appearance.
  • New reporting links him to a manifesto and to posts on PauseAI’s Discord under the moniker “Butlerian Jihadist,” as well as a podcast recorded as “Discord Dan” where he once called ChatGPT “awesome”; PauseAI says none of his 34 messages endorsed violence and it condemns the attack.
  • Investigators and journalists say he privately referenced the 2024 shooting of a health care chief as inspiration, as coverage also notes a widening anti‑AI backlash that has shifted from petitions and street protests to vandalism and arson against AI firms.