A surprising incident unfolded during a public event in San Francisco, when a man attempted to serve OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with a court summons. The episode occurred while Altman was participating in a live discussion with Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr about leadership and innovation.
According to event organizer Manny Yekutiel, the man approached the stage shortly after Altman and Kerr sat down, holding up a sheet of paper and declaring that it was a legal summons for the OpenAI executive. Yekutiel intervened immediately, took the document, and handed it to security personnel.
Despite the interruption, the event continued for over an hour without further incidents. Witnesses said that both Altman and Kerr appeared surprised but quickly regained composure as the situation was contained.
Later, activist organization Stop AI claimed responsibility for the incident. The group, which advocates for a ban on the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI), said the summons was linked to their ongoing legal campaign against OpenAI following several non-violent protests, including temporary blockades of the company’s offices.
In its statement, Stop AI said its goal is to draw attention to the existential risks of advanced AI systems, arguing that unrestricted AGI development could lead to mass job losses, social instability, and even human extinction. The group describes itself as a movement of “nonviolent civil resistance” focused on preventing the rise of uncontrolled artificial intelligence.
As of publication, Sam Altman and OpenAI representatives have not issued any official comment on the incident.
The confrontation comes shortly after OpenAI announced the completion of its recapitalization process in October 2025, splitting its assets between the nonprofit OpenAI Foundation and the commercial OpenAI Group. The new structure allows the organization to raise external investment and acquire businesses under more flexible legal terms.
Altman recently noted that OpenAI now generates “significantly more than $13 billion” in annual revenue, reflecting the rapid growth of its commercial AI services and partnerships.
