Technology Newsletter

AI tensions boil over

by Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro - 04/16/26 6:01 PM ET

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by Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro - 04/16/26 6:01 PM ET

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Technology

The Big Story

Tensions over AI reach new high after violent attacks

Two violent attacks against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and a city council member are prompting new fears over whether the debate around the technology has turned dangerous.

Tensions reached a new high this week as technology leaders in Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley quickly blamed the anti-AI rhetoric for the recent violence, while AI opposition groups condemned the attacks.

The violence and subsequent debate is the latest example of the country’s growing divide over AI, especially regarding its impact on the workforce, economy and environment, and how the government should regulate its development.

“AI and related topics — specifically data centers, how they are approved, and their impacts on communities — are emerging as an increasingly contentious issue,” said Shannon Hiller, the executive director of Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative, a research initiative tracking political violence. “By itself, this doesn’t mean the issue will necessarily lead to more violence.”

”But in the current climate of hostility in our politics, and the speed at which decisions are moving on AI and data centers, we’re seeing an uptick in cases of harassment and threats around this issue, even at the local level,” Hiller added.

Altman’s San Francisco home was targeted in an attack last Friday when a 20-year-old Texas man allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the house, setting a gate on fire before fleeing, according to authorities.

In a manifesto recovered by officials, Moreno-Gama threatened Altman and other AI leaders, writing, “If I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message.”

Three days earlier, Indianapolis City-County Council member Rob Gibson said his home was shot at 13 times and a note reading “No Data Centers” was left on his doorstep.

Altman, in a blog post following the attack, said he “underestimated the power of words and narratives” and pointed to a recent “incendiary article” about him published days earlier. He did not list the article, though several online users speculated it was a New Yorker investigative piece on Altman released days earlier.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com

Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we’re Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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