Overview
- Empty body bags were placed outside OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters on Thursday as a protest against the company’s work with the U.S. Department of Defense.
- A separate, violent episode in April involved a suspect who allegedly tried to firebomb OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and has been charged with attempted murder and arson.
- Security firm Liferaft reported that digital threats targeting AI executives and data centers rose roughly sevenfold between late February and May, prompting firms to monitor risks more closely.
- Companies are responding by expanding round‑the‑clock security, budgeting for executive protection, advising staff to hide corporate branding, and in some cases having executives travel with armed guards.
- The backlash is driven by fears about job losses from AI, military use of the technology, and data‑center impacts, and these pressures could push companies to limit public exposure and change hiring and community plans.