OpenAI Shuts SF Offices After Alleged Activist Threat
▼ Summary
– OpenAI employees were ordered to remain inside their San Francisco office due to a threat from an individual previously linked to the Stop AI activist group.
– San Francisco police received a 911 call about a man making threats near OpenAI’s Mission Bay offices, with reports suggesting he may have purchased weapons to target additional locations.
– The suspect claimed on social media that he was no longer part of Stop AI hours before the incident occurred on Friday.
– OpenAI’s internal communications shared images of the suspect and advised employees to remove badges and avoid wearing company logos when leaving the building.
– Protest groups like Stop AI and Pause AI have previously demonstrated at AI company offices, expressing concerns that advanced AI development could harm humanity and lead to job displacement.
On Friday afternoon, OpenAI instructed its San Francisco staff to remain inside their offices following a reported threat from an individual previously linked to the Stop AI activist organization. An internal Slack message from the company’s communications team warned that the person had expressed interest in physically harming employees and had previously been seen near OpenAI’s Mission Bay facilities.
According to data from the crime tracking app Citizen, San Francisco police responded to a 911 call just before 11 a.m. regarding a man allegedly threatening violence near 550 Terry Francois Boulevard, close to OpenAI’s offices. Archived police scanner audio identified the suspect by name and indicated he may have acquired weapons with plans to target multiple OpenAI locations.
Hours before the incident unfolded, the same individual posted on social media stating he was no longer affiliated with Stop AI. Reporters attempted to contact the man but did not receive an immediate response. OpenAI, along with the San Francisco Police Department, also declined to comment prior to publication.
Internally, OpenAI’s security team shared three photographs of the suspect with employees. A senior member of the global security team later communicated that while there was no indication of active threats, the situation remained under assessment and precautionary measures were in place. Staff were advised to remove company badges and avoid wearing OpenAI-branded apparel when leaving the building.
In recent years, activist groups such as Stop AI, No AGI, and Pause AI have staged protests outside San Francisco offices of AI firms like OpenAI and Anthropic. Demonstrators voice concerns that rapid advancement in artificial intelligence could endanger society. Earlier incidents include arrests in February when protesters locked the front doors of OpenAI’s Mission Bay location. Earlier this month, Stop AI also claimed that the person who jumped onstage to serve a subpoena to CEO Sam Altman during a public interview was their public defender.
In a press release issued last year by Pause AI, the individual now accused of threatening OpenAI employees was quoted as an organizer. He expressed that life would lose its value if AI systems replaced humans in scientific discovery and employment. He remarked, “Pause AI may be viewed as radical amongst AI people and techies, but it is not radical amongst the general public, and neither is stopping AGI development altogether.”
(Source: Wired)
