‘This Is Really Serious Shit’: OpenAI Policy Chief Says AI Fearmongering Has Turned Dangerous

Last Updated:April 16, 2026, 20:43 IST

OpenAI policy chief David Lehane said the current debate around AI had become polarised, with exaggerated promises on one side and catastrophic predictions on the other.

OpenAI’s global policy chief David Lehane sharply criticised what he described as irresponsible “doomer" narratives around artificial intelligence, warning that extreme rhetoric may have helped fuel recent attacks on the home of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman. Speaking in an interview with The Standard, David Lehane said the current debate around AI had become dangerously polarised, with exaggerated promises on one side and catastrophic predictions on the other.

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“This is not fun and games," David Lehane said, adding, “This is really serious shit."

David Lehane’s remarks come after a Molotov cocktail attack targeting Sam Altman’s residence. The alleged attacker, identified in reports as 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama, was said to believe AI posed an existential threat to humanity. The incident intensified concerns within the technology sector over whether increasingly hostile public discourse around AI could translate into real-world violence.

Sam Altman later issued an open letter saying public fears around AI were legitimate, but warned that “words have power". He also criticised media coverage that, he said, crossed personal boundaries by publishing a photo of his husband and child.

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“I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me," Sam Altman wrote.

David Lehane Attacks ‘Two Ends’ Of AI Debate

David Lehane described the current AI conversation as dominated by two extremes. On one side, he said, are those portraying AI as a utopian force that will solve every problem and create effortless prosperity. On the other are critics who hold “a very, very negative and dark view of humanity" and predict civilisation-level collapse.

David Lehane also acknowledged that OpenAI and other developers need to do more to explain both the benefits and risks of AI. He said genuine concerns about misuse, safety and societal disruption must be addressed quickly and responsibly, while avoiding fear-driven speculation.

“These are very real problems AI presents," he said, adding that society must work together to find practical solutions.

News world ‘This Is Really Serious Shit’: OpenAI Policy Chief Says AI Fearmongering Has Turned Dangerous

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