The recent alleged attack on the home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shows the increasing threat faced by company management from people intending them harm, for whatever reason.
The 20-year-old male attacker is said to have thrown a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s home and then tried to break into the company’s office in San Francisco, saying he wanted to harm staff inside.
Internet forums were abuzz with theories, with some claiming this was a justified attack on an executive whose company is ruining job prospects and damaging the environment.
Others pointed out this was a dangerous development and cited the example of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a possible politically motivated attack.
It is part of a trend of activism against companies, especially those involved with AI.
Only days before this latest attempted assault, the media reported that shots were fired into the home of Indianapolis councilman Ron Gibson.
Left on his door was a “no data centres” note. This was just after a data centre had been approved in his district.
European authorities have expressed concern that such attacks could be on the rise across the UK and mainland Europe.
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