OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT chatbot, is facing rising public hostility after its chief executive Sam Altman was targeted at his San Francisco home last week in what prosecutors described as a Molotov cocktail attack on his driveway gate.
The suspect also allegedly threatened OpenAI's headquarters, an escalation that underscores a darkening mood towards the technology industry and the artificial intelligence systems it is racing to build.
The attack did not come out of nowhere.
Polls suggest a majority of Americans have turned sceptical about AI's promise, with a March survey by NBC News finding 57% of registered voters believe the technology's risks outweigh its benefits.
A separate poll by Quinnipiac University put the figure even higher, with 55% of respondents saying they expect AI will do more harm than good in everyday life.
The unease extends well beyond opinion surveys and into the physical infrastructure the industry needs to function.
Technology companies have committed roughly $700 billion this year to building vast computing facilities known as data centres, the warehouse-scale server farms required to train and run advanced AI systems.
But communities across the United States are pushing back against the noise, energy consumption and water use those facilities bring.
At least $156 billion worth of data centre projects were blocked or delayed this year, according to a report by Data Centre Watch, a figure that reflects organised local opposition rather than isolated complaints.
In Maine, lawmakers passed a bill that would ban new data centre construction across the entire state, legislation now awaiting the governor's signature.
The backlash poses a practical problem for an industry that needs enormous amounts of computing power to keep improving its products, and a reputational one for companies preparing to sell shares to the public for the first time.
OpenAI and Anthropic, a rival that makes the Claude chatbot, are both considering stock market listings that would allow ordinary investors to buy in.
OpenAI's chief financial officer Sarah Friar said the company plans to set aside part of any share sale for individual buyers, not just large institutional funds.
Altman himself acknowledged the difficult climate in a public statement, writing that he sympathises with those who distrust technology and recognises it is not always beneficial.
The convergence of voter anxiety, legal obstacles to building new facilities, and an election year in which AI regulation has become a campaign issue now forms part of the backdrop for every major decision these companies make.
Related reading
- Anthropic secures multi-gigawatt Google and Broadcom chip deal as annual revenue run rate hits $30bn
- AWS chief defends OpenAI investment as routine partner conflict after backing Anthropic
- Anthropic spots 'emotion vectors' inside Claude
For firms hoping to win over millions of ordinary shareholders in a public listing, the challenge is no longer just technical.
It is whether a sceptical public can be persuaded that the industry's ambitions are worth the disruption they bring.
The recap
- Sam Altman’s home was targeted in an attack last week.
- $156 billion in data center projects blocked or delayed in 2025.
- Maine passed a statewide data center ban, now awaiting signature.
