OpenAI locked down its San Francisco offices this week after receiving a violent threat from an individual associated with the anti-AI activist group StopAI, according to internal communications reviewed by Wired. The threat, which was shared on OpenAI's Slack channel, referenced an activist who had previously visited the company's facilities and expressed interest in causing physical harm to employees.
The employee message, as reported by Wired, stated: "Our information indicates that [an activist] from StopAI has expressed interest in causing physical harm to OpenAI employees. He has previously been on site at our San Francisco facilities." The individual was not named in the Wired report, but the City Journal later identified the person as Sam Kirchner, a cofounder of StopAI.
StopAI, a group that has called for a permanent halt to AI development, issued a statement distancing itself from Kirchner, emphasizing its "deeply committed to nonviolence" stance. The group also claimed that Kirchner had assaulted another member who refused to give him access to funds, and that his "volatile, erratic behavior" and renunciation of nonviolence led the victim to fear he might procure a weapon to use against employees of companies pursuing artificial superintelligence.
Just before the lockdown, Kirchner posted on social media that he was "no longer part of StopAI." His current whereabouts are unknown, according to the City Journal.
Escalating Tactics
StopAI has previously organized hunger strikes outside AI company offices. Earlier this month, the group claimed responsibility for an incident in which an attorney from the San Francisco Public Defender's Office served OpenAI CEO Sam Altman a subpoena to appear as a witness in a criminal case. That action, while legal, signaled a more confrontational approach by the group.
The lockdown marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between AI developers and activists who view the technology as an existential threat. While protests and online campaigns have been common, this is one of the first reported instances where a physical threat led to a security lockdown at a major AI company.
OpenAI has not publicly commented on the incident. The company's security protocols, which include lockdown procedures, were activated in response to the threat, according to the Wired report.
The situation remains fluid, with law enforcement potentially involved, though no official statements have been released. The incident underscores the growing polarization around AI development, as activists become more vocal and companies like OpenAI continue to expand their operations.
