OpenAI Secures San Francisco Offices After Reported Threat from Activist

Employees at OpenAI in San Francisco were instructed to remain inside the office on Friday afternoon after the company reportedly received a threat from someone previously linked to the Stop AI activist group.

“Our information suggests that [name] from StopAI has shown an interest in inflicting physical harm on OpenAI employees,” a member of the internal communications team communicated via Slack. “He has been on our San Francisco premises in the past.”

Just before 11 am, San Francisco police responded to a 911 call regarding a male reportedly making threats and intending to harm individuals at 550 Terry Francois Boulevard, located near OpenAI’s offices in the Mission Bay area, according to data from the crime app Citizen. A recording from a police scanner preserved on the app identifies the suspect by name and claims he might have acquired weapons to target additional OpenAI sites.

Hours prior to the Friday incident, the individual identified by the police as the one making the threat stated he was no longer affiliated with Stop AI in a social media post.

WIRED attempted to reach out to the individual but did not receive an immediate reply. San Francisco police also delayed their response to a request for comment. OpenAI did not issue a statement before publication.

Within Slack, the internal communications team shared three images of the individual suspected of making the threat. Subsequently, a senior member of the global security team remarked, “Currently, there is no evidence of active threat activity; the situation is ongoing, and we are implementing precautionary measures as our assessment proceeds.” Employees were advised to conceal their badges when leaving the building and to refrain from wearing clothing featuring the OpenAI logo.

In recent years, demonstrators associated with groups such as Stop AI, No AGI, and Pause AI have conducted protests outside the San Francisco offices of numerous AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, due to concerns that unrestricted AI development could pose risks to humanity. In February, protestors were arrested for locking the front doors of OpenAI’s Mission Bay office. Earlier this month, StopAI claimed its public advocate was the individual who interrupted an onstage interview with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during an event in San Francisco.

In a press release from Pause AI last year, the individual labeled by police as making the threat against OpenAI staff is characterized as an organizer, stating he would find “life not worth living” if AI technologies replaced humans in scientific discoveries and job roles. “Pause AI may seem radical among AI professionals and tech enthusiasts,” he said. “However, it’s not viewed as radical by the broader public, nor is halting AGI development entirely.”