As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly becomes more widespread, concerns among the American public about its impact on employment, harm to children’s mental health, and the resulting rise in energy costs continue to escalate, leading to a growing wave of anti-AI sentiment in recent months. In addition to expanding protests, some extreme rhetoric has evolved into personal and property threats against AI companies and top executives, even resulting in violent incidents such as suspected arson, shootings, and knife attacks.
According to records reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the San Francisco police have responded to multiple threats against employees of Anthropic and OpenAI.
On April 10, an individual attempted to throw a Molotov cocktail at the residence of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, leading to charges of attempted murder and attempted arson. Two days later, his residence in Russian Hill, San Francisco, was shot at, and two suspects were apprehended.
On April 15, a man attempted to enter the building of AI startup company Anthropic with the intent to assassinate a senior executive, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
In May, Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht was discovered in Seattle, coinciding with Meta Platforms’ announcement of layoffs of approximately 1,400 employees in Washington state. Some netizens expressed hopes of destroying, bombing, or sinking the yacht.
In June, a man from Oklahoma demanded to speak with a real person when seeking a refund from Anthropic, threatening, “Since you won’t put a real person in touch with me for my refund, I’ll be coming to your office with a gun to discuss my money.”
Social media company Liferaft stated that threats against AI company executives and data centers increased sevenfold from late February to May. CEO Jonathan Graff remarked, “The deterioration of the situation at such a rapid pace in such a short period of time is surprising.”
This phenomenon has compelled tech company executives of all sizes to reassess their security measures. Some tech leaders are now traveling with armed guards, while others remain silent on the topic of AI to avoid scrutiny, despite actively promoting the development of more complex models.
An analysis of disclosure documents by data analytics company Equilar found that by 2025, 38.1% of S&P 500 index component companies disclosed expenditures on executive security, up from 26.8% in 2021.
Three companies located in core AI development hubs significantly increased their security expenditures.
Palantir Technologies saw a 150% increase in spending on executive protection in a year, nearing $3 million by 2025.
Oracle’s spending also rose by 85.5%, from $3 million in the previous year to $5.6 million, with most of the funds allocated to securing Larry Ellison’s residence due to “specific threats and security risks.”
Salesforce’s expenditures increased to about $4 million, up approximately $1 million from 2024.
At an AI and Labor Conference organized by the think tank American Compass this year, Palantir CEO Alex Karp stated that fears of unemployment are exacerbating the backlash against AI, noting that when people are told “your job is about to disappear,” they will “pick up pitchforks in protest.”
Dakota Dominguez, Vice President of JPT Security, remarked, “A few years ago, tech company CEOs definitely wouldn’t focus on security, but now many tech companies include security in their budgets.” He noted that due to public backlash against the tech industry, more tech companies are requesting armed bodyguards.
Nabih Numair, a senior security expert in Silicon Valley, pointed out that AI companies discourage employees from wearing company logos, as it poses a risk of targeted attacks, especially in unfamiliar areas.
According to The Wall Street Journal, current and former security personnel at Anthropic posted online, noting that the company’s security department has significantly expanded in recent years. One individual mentioned that by 2025, his responsibilities went from protecting CEO Dario Amodei to providing global security for the founder, other executives, and their families.
A spokesperson for Anthropic stated that since 2024, the company has implemented around-the-clock security measures and regularly communicates with employees about emerging threats. The spokesperson said, “We continuously monitor concerning behavior patterns through a dedicated team to identify signs of escalating risks early.”
Polls also indicate that attitudes toward AI among the American public are increasingly conservative, with concerns about its potential impact on employment and rising living costs continuing to grow. As more companies attribute layoffs to AI efficiency improvements, employee dissatisfaction is on the rise. A survey conducted by Quinnipiac University in March of approximately 1,400 American adults revealed that the number of respondents worried about AI exceeded four times the number of those who were not worried, with 55% believing that the drawbacks of AI outweigh the benefits, reflecting the expanding societal concerns over AI development.