The AI Backlash Turns Violent
April 15, 2026
For more than two decades, groups concerned about the risks of artificial intelligence and its impact on society have warned that the creation of this technology may spell the end of humanity. Despite the increasing urgency of their rhetoric, their responses have been almost entirely technocratic, focused on technical research and. policy recommendations. The prophets of AI risk have built think tanks, not mass movements, much less militant cells.
That might be changing. This weekend, two apparent assassination attempts targeted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home in San Francisco—the first high-profile anti-technology terrorism America has seen since the apprehension of the Unabomber. Whether more such incidents will follow is unclear, but they do reflect a widespread feeling that the forward march of AI has become unstoppable, even as many—including those within the industry—warn of its dangers. It is unsurprising that individuals have responded to such rhetoric with violent attempts to prevent the warned-of catastrophe. For these people, the expert-led approach to AI has run its course.
