San Francisco police are still searching for 27-year-old anti-activist and Stop AI co-founder Sam Kirchner, whose threats led to a “lockdown” of their offices late last month, warning he may be armed and dangerous.
Sam Kirchner, who has not given any signs of life since November 21, threatened to go to OpenAI’s offices in San Francisco to “kill people.”
Two different people who said they knew Kirchner told San Francisco police that he had previously expressed a desire to purchase high-powered weapons to “fulfill these violent desires.”
Stop AI and Kirchner’s biography
Stop AI protest at OpenAI San Francisco 7/25/25.
SHUT DOWN OPENAI!!!
OPENAI WILL KILL US ALL!!!
PROTEST OR DIE!!!— Stop AI🛑 (@StopAI_Info)
Stop AI is a San Francisco-based group that promotes a permanent ban on the creation of advanced artificial intelligence, with the goal of preventing mass extinction and “homicide.” Kirchner was among three members of the group arrested during a protest in February for blocking the doors of OpenAI’s offices in San Francisco.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Kirchner worked as a mechanical engineer and as a DoorDash delivery driver in Seattle until 2024, when he moved to San Francisco and co-founded Stop AI. In previous interviews, he has expressed concern that an advanced form of AI could “quite possibly wipe us out like we wipe out less advanced species.”
He had also told The Standard newspaper that he felt compelled to protest outside AI companies to convince lawmakers of the danger posed by the technology. “We have to take to the streets and force these politicians to take this seriously,” he had said.
The disappearance
I am no longer part of Stop AI.
— No AGI / Sam Kirchner🛑 (@No_AGI_)
“I am no longer a member of Stop AI,” Kirchner wrote on X on Friday, November 21. The problem, however, started on November 15 according to Matthew Hall, the recently elected head of Stop AI, known as Yako.
At a meeting, Kirchner disagreed with the rest of the group about the wording of some messages for an upcoming protest and was so upset that the meeting did not go through. Kirchner left, saying he would go ahead with his own idea, alone. Later that night, he demanded from Yakos access to Stop AI’s money.
“I was concerned, given his behavior, what he might be using that money for,” Yako said. When he refused to give them to him, Kirchner punched him several times in the head.
A few days later, according to Yako, Kirchner was apologetic but seemed torn. He expressed that he was exhausted by how slowly the movement was moving and that he no longer believed that nonviolence was working.
After that, for a few days, Stop AI handled the matter privately. Kirchner could no longer be part of the team due to the alleged violent confrontation, but the situation seemed manageable. The remaining members became concerned again when Kirchner failed to appear at a scheduled hearing related to his February arrest for blocking doors to OpenAI offices.
So they went to his apartment in West Oakland and found it unlocked and empty. They then felt compelled to alert the police again and also various AI companies, saying that they did not know where Kirchner was and that there was a possibility that he might be dangerous.
