Security camera footage of a person, identified by federal officials as Daniel Moreno-Gama, preparing to throw a Molotov cocktail at the San Francisco home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
FBI
Two days before a Molotov cocktail was lobbed at the Russian Hill home of Open AI CEO Sam Altman, a hotel employee across town received a mysterious phone call.
The voice sounded like a young woman, and was calling from somewhere outside the Union Square Plaza Hotel, the employee would later recall. The caller requested a late checkout for one of the hotel’s guests, Daniel Moreno-Gama — a young Texas man who police later accused of setting off on a cross-country journey to kill one of the world’s most powerful leaders in artificial intelligence.
Investigators are now searching for the identity of this caller, believing that she may be a co-conspirator in the April 10 firebombing, according to police records recently obtained by the Chronicle.
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“Based on the female sounding voice, it is reasonable to believe that Moreno-Gama may have been in contact with or working with another individual to carry out the plans,” police said.
The documents, which have not been previously reported on, reveal new details related to the planning and timeline leading up to the alleged attack. Officials believe the crimes were rooted in Moreno-Gama’s fears that AI would destroy humanity, and were intended to inspire widespread violence against other AI leaders.
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Moreno-Gama has been charged with multiple felonies, and has pleaded not guilty.
The records also show that, between the time Moreno-Gama first checked into the San Francisco hotel on April 6, and his early morning arrest on April 10, Moreno-Gama had also made a trip to Redding (Shasta County). While there, police said Moreno-Gama stayed in a La Quinta and checked out on April 9, the same date he would check back into the Union Square Plaza Hotel in San Francisco.
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It’s unclear from the records how or why Moreno-Gama traveled to Redding just before the attack. The documents state that he returned his rental car on April 9, but it’s unclear where it was returned.
While officials have not publicly commented on the possibility of accomplices, prosecutors have repeatedly pointed to evidence that they said showed Moreno-Gama was planning a wider attack. Police allegedly recovered a manifesto on the dangers of AI, which contained a hit list made up of other AI board members and CEOs and words of encouragement to others Moreno-Gama hoped would follow in his path.
“Also 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,” read a portion of the manifesto, according to federal court documents.
Earlier writings and witness statements cited in the documents show Moreno-Gama considered AI an “existential risk” to humanity. A neighbor of Moreno-Gama’s in Texas told police that they had spoken with Moreno-Gama about AI at a recent barbeque, and that Moreno-Gama had said that the technology could “destroy the world.”
“The neighbor described Moreno-Gama as having a ‘hyper fixation’ and described him as a ‘conspiracy theorist’ regarding the subject of Al,” police said.
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San Francisco prosecutors have charged Moreno-Gama with a host of felonies including attempted murder and attempted arson, alleging he also tried to set fire to Open AI’s headquarters in Mission Bay shortly after visiting Altman’s home. He’s also facing federal charges of attempted property damage and destruction with an explosive and possession of an unregistered gun.
Attorneys for Moreno-Gama have attributed their clients’ alleged actions to a mental-health crisis and said he was overcharged by prosecutors. Officials with the San Francisco public defender’s office, which is representing Moreno-Gama, did not respond to requests for comment.
FBI and San Francisco police officials declined to comment on questions about any potential accomplices, citing the open investigation. To date, Moreno-Gama is the only person who has been charged in the case.
Police records state that Moreno-Gama’s journey began in Texas, where he rented a Kia on March 31.
He initially checked into the Union Square Plaza Hotel on April 6, and video footage from his stay shows accompanied by no one aside from hotel staff, police said.
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The unknown female caller requested the late checkout some time between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on April 8, the hotel employee told police. The employee added that they had interacted with Moreno-Gama while he was at the hotel, and told police they didn’t believe he was the person who called the front desk.
Police initially responded to the hotel on April 12, after a housekeeper cleaning one of the rooms allegedly spotted a black firearm inside a bag in the middle of the bed, police records show. The housekeeper notified the hotel manager, who found that the room was registered to Moreno-Gama, a name they recognized from the news, the document states.
In portions of his manifesto, Moreno-Gama states that he considered Altman’s death “justified,” and appears to take into account the widespread publicity it would receive.
In another portion of the letter, Moreno-Gama addresses Altman’s young child, saying it was “unfortunate” that the child had to be involved in this.
“I know how much you love children,” states a portion of the letter that was intended for Altman, if he survived. “It is still my belief that his chances of reaching adulthood would be greater If I burnt his house down and killed his dad.”
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Moreno-Garcia also allegedly listed the names and addresses of other potential targets, and urged others to check the information before taking action.
To the targets, he wrote: “Those who are mentioned must immediately resign or stop all progress and begin advocating for a ban on further research and the downscaling of current data centers, to no longer be considered a threat.”
Moreno-Gama remained in custody at San Francisco jail, and was due back in court next month. His attorneys have asked that he be released on his own recognizance, and requested he be evaluated for mental-health diversion.