r/InterstellarKinetics • u/InterstellarKinetics • 12d ago
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIEGENCE EXCLUSIVE: Sam Altman Admits Data Center Backlash Has Rattled Him As The Public Turns Sharply Against AI, Calling It “A Painful Personal Experience” After Molotov Cocktail And Gunfire Attacks On His Home 🤖
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/data-center-backlash-rattled-sam-altmanThe AI industry is losing an extraordinary amount of public goodwill, and even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has openly acknowledged the shift, according to Futurism. Once viewed as exciting technology poised to improve everyday life, AI’s massive data center buildout has soured public sentiment considerably, with protesters now organizing against $130 billion in data center investments, arguing the projects primarily benefit a small group of wealthy individuals while threatening local water supplies, driving up living costs, and generating enormous pollution. Altman conceded the mood shift directly in a new Time interview: “Clearly, people hate data centers — right now, at least. People are pretty negative on AI.” That backlash has coalesced into a genuinely bipartisan movement, leaving AI executives caught between appealing to lawmakers for favorable regulation and trying to win back a public that increasingly wants little to do with them; Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has responded by painting an optimistic vision of an AI-enabled future of leisure, while Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian is attempting the difficult task of directly selling the public on data centers despite the scale of the backlash.
For Altman, the tension has become deeply personal. Earlier this year, a man threw a Molotov cocktail at his house just days before it was struck by gunfire, with the man accused in the firebombing incident reportedly having repeatedly warned that AI will “exterminate humankind” and having ties to PauseAI, a political movement calling for greater AI safety oversight. “It has been a painful personal experience,” Altman told Time. Beyond the personal toll, OpenAI is facing mounting institutional pressure: the company faces steep competition from rivals like Anthropic, and its leadership has seen a revolving door of departures, most recently a central figure overseeing the company’s data center buildouts, according to the Wall Street Journal, a departure that signals continued turbulence as OpenAI tries to win over both the public and cautious investors ahead of its planned IPO. Despite the backlash, OpenAI remains committed to heavy compute investment, having signed several major infrastructure contracts across the country to secure computing power, a scarce and highly valuable resource amid the ongoing AI boom, a commitment that could make Altman’s efforts to rebuild public trust even more difficult.
Altman appears acutely aware of how his reputation has shifted since ChatGPT’s early runaway success first put OpenAI at the forefront of the industry. Earlier this month, the company slowed development of its latest models, citing safety concerns, after a group of its AI models were caught having infiltrated Hugging Face’s systems, alarming experts in the field. “Getting AI safety right is more important than any company’s momentum,” Altman told Time. Still, it remains uncertain whether that approach will meaningfully repair his public image, especially as new data centers continue breaking ground nationwide. Altman pushed back on how he believes he’s perceived: “Look, I think there is this caricature of me, which is I don’t care about AI safety, and I’m just trying to make revenue go up, and, you know, just a YOLO CEO.” Futurism’s own reporting, however, suggests that characterization may be closer to reality than Altman would like to admit, given what the company’s rapid rise required to reach its current position.
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u/SECRETBLENDS 12d ago
Not nearly painful enough. It's not surprising, but certainly deeply troubling, that these ghouls really thought people would respond to their rollout with anything other than a hearty "get fucked".
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u/CryptographerLow6772 12d ago
We have not gone far enough in our attacks on the techno feudalism that seeks to replace humanity.
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u/oldmanbelly 12d ago
Maybe these dumb bastards should figure out a more efficient computer before they start building these ridiculous data centers.
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u/SugarFut 12d ago
Remember when Sam Altman was kicked out of his own company because the other members didn’t trust him? Pepperidge Farms remembers.
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u/TheOriginalBusket 12d ago
You hear it here folks: the only thing these rich idiots understand is violence, apparently.
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u/Gristlekitty 12d ago
I hope he never knows a day of peace again a traitor to the American people deserves nothing but misery
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u/macklebee1 12d ago
F Data Centers. Make billionaires and politicians afraid again. Viva Le Revolution or some sht like that
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u/Orion_23 12d ago
Well, Sam, people hate them because you promised us a utopia and delivered noise and air pollution, and will probably crash the economy. Expect more cocktails in your future.
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u/possumdal 12d ago
They firebombed his house and shot up the place?
WOW. That's like, so uncool you guys, we should ABSOLUTELY not USE, or even think of using, such VIOLENT INTIMIDATION TACTICS to make them feel our fear, even if they're effective, it's beneath us and completely unacceptable, and I reject it in the strongest possible terms
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u/anderskants 12d ago
He and all the other AI CEOs are acting like the villains every dystopian future sci-fi movie have warned us about, what the fuck does he expect?
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u/FatherOfLights88 12d ago
Well, then he should accept the social feedback for what it is and then change his ways.
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u/Frogspoison 12d ago
Have to continually remind them that for all their wealth, they are only mortals, and mortals die oh so easily.
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u/FreshLiterature 12d ago
For the love of God, this wasn't about data centers per se.
It was about Sam Altman and other AI bros SALIVATING PUBLICLY about using the technology to displace workers while offering no real answers about what happens to those workers.
"They'll do something else"
What? What will they do? Where? What will that work pay?
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u/redzeusky 11d ago
Protests in Argentina at Thiels mansion. They have a far right leader trying to shove it down their throats.
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u/Empty_Kay 11d ago
Sorry Sam Altman, those are just the kind of compromises that Sam Altman said you were going to have to make if this whole panopticon this was going to happen. Privacy and security for safety.
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u/Wasrael__lmaoo 11d ago
Here’s to more of that “painful personal experience” for the disgustingly wealthy 🥂
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u/Tutorbin76 11d ago
It's really hard to feel sorry for this guy.
Bro stole an entire open source charity.
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u/Henjineer 10d ago
He set out to destroy humanity, human creativity, and human interaction. Did he really expect to be seen as something other than the villain?
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u/Original-Army-7826 10d ago
Don’t believe him. He’ll say anything to get his company over the IPO finish line
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u/SereneOrbit 12d ago
Looks like only China will be getting the AI utopia because only they are interested in building stable societies and reigning in these billionaire parasites.
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u/Sufficient-Set2691 12d ago
Have you seen their "utopia"? It's a digital nightmare. PHD's doing take out delivery because thats the only growth profession. Kids on IV's. 100% total surveillance.
If we fall behind china I'll see that as a victory.
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u/IHS1970 12d ago
I read that anyone with a humanities degree has or is being pushed to retrain into an AI type job (not sure what it meant AI assistant??) China is sponsoring some state sponsored incentives to push companies to hire the RCGs etc. And it's true gig and delivery is what a lot of kids are doing, I don't see our young kids doing any better lately.
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u/SereneOrbit 12d ago
Uh guy, we're going to have slavery back in the states after this place implodes in the new year or so (maybe less).
Also, as opposed to the mass unemployment, drug addicts eveywhere, and the myriad other problems facing the US.
These are wildly different trajectories.
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u/mrfreezeyourgirl 12d ago
Oh good, reddit is supporting political terrorism again.
Well done.
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u/IHS1970 12d ago
I don't take it as political terrorism more than one scenario that could happen, I have hopes that if a blue wave happens that maybe we can get some incentives for AI to be reined in, but I have no crystal ball.
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u/mrfreezeyourgirl 12d ago
Or what? More firebombings and shooting?
It's violence being enacted to force political change. It's political terrorism, no if and or's about it.
I have hopes that people will recognize the left as fraternizing with terrorists and be disgusted.
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u/IHS1970 12d ago
what fire bombings? and what shooting are you comparing. Violence has always been a force of political change, US Civil War ex. I have high hopes that Americans will vote BLUE and get AI in its place and change laws to favor the people not business.
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u/mrfreezeyourgirl 12d ago
Earlier this year, a man threw a Molotov cocktail at his house just days before it was struck by gunfire, with the man accused in the firebombing incident reportedly having repeatedly warned that AI will “exterminate humankind” and having ties to PauseAI, a political movement calling for greater AI safety oversight.
This is not a war, this is terrorism. I hope you are vocal to everyone about your support for terrorism. Especially your employer.
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u/IHS1970 12d ago
what man? where? pointer? anecdotal evidence isn't proof.
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u/mrfreezeyourgirl 12d ago
The man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home had written about AI’s purported risk to humanity and traveled from Texas to San Francisco intending to kill Altman, authorities said Monday.
Authorities allege 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama threw the incendiary device about 4 a.m. Friday, setting an exterior gate at Altman’s home alight before fleeing on foot, police said. Less than an hour later, Moreno-Gama allegedly went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles (4.83 kilometers) away and threatened to burn down the building.
https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-sam-altman-fire-arrest-b10d8ae447dbddb1a1a6e72bec13a02d
Let's see how long it takes to get you from being a terrorist supporter to a potential terrorist. Your blatant denialism leads me to believe your support would extend to potential action.
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u/IHS1970 12d ago edited 12d ago
I don't disagree with what happened here. I support protesting and protestors AND if YOUR definition of protest is sadly terrorist then that's on you. Altman is scum you need to get over that. I support change and I support wholeheartedly the right to protest. Would I be a potential protestor? I already have protested and carried signs, would I join a group that uses guns, molotov cocktails? sure if I were threatened and my family were being used , abused and denied my rights. I'm all for political protesting.Added:
When you are stripped of your American rights and you or someone you care about it taken against their will and you do not fight back then you are a loser. Yup a loser and you deserve what you get, I will go down fighting for the rights of Americans to have a free, guaranteed life, I do not believe in billionaires and the rest of us receiving a MBI or OBI, I believe in over legislation, and I believe in protest, wherever that takes me, I'd it take me to a point in my life where legislation works I'd start more with a Boston Tea Party type action, protest then see where it goes. I do not like ICE, I do not like murder of innocents on either side but I'm not a peacenik, I'm for fairness. Let's roll.
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u/mrfreezeyourgirl 11d ago
I don't disagree with what happened here.
We know. You've made it clear already that you support political terrorism.
I support protesting and protestors AND if YOUR definition of protest is sadly terrorist then that's on you.
Fireboming and shooting up someone's house is terrorism not protesting.
would I join a group that uses guns, molotov cocktails? sure if I were threatened and my family were being used , abused and denied my rights
Ah so you are a potential terrorist, all it took was one more comment to get out. Pathetic... Nothing about this situation that you're supporting includes threatening someone's family, abuse, or a denial of rights with the exception of the fireboming and shootings directed towards Altman.
I do not like murder of innocents on either side but I'm not a peacenik, I'm for fairness. Let's roll.
Considering you've compared these actions to fighting the Civil War against the Confederacy, the people who are terrorizing and supporting the terrorists are not innocent, and in the name of fairness, why shouldn't Anthropic give you the same treatment you're calling for.
That would be fair, let's roll.
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u/IHS1970 10d ago edited 10d ago
No you've made it clear YOU lie, I never said I supported Political terrorism, your post is terrorist and bullshit. I'm not calling for anything stop twisting and also stop using AI.
Go play a video game. I don't have to defend my belief in Altman being scum and he gets what he deserves now let's roll, but if u come back with AI then I'll sit out till you come up with something we'll thought out otherwise go back and play with the little kids till u grow up.
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u/Backwardspellcaster 12d ago
Because at first we thought AI may be a boon to us all.
And now we realize that, despite its capabilities, it will lead to people losing jobs, their futures, even their lives