Causal Explanations Versus Moral Excuses

In this week's episode, we explore a question no one has ever thought of before: "What is violence?"

We unpack the recent Molotov cocktail attack on Sam Altman's home and how his own rhetoric about (checks notes), "killing every human on earth with AI", may be leading people who take him seriously to act in extreme ways. We explore Altman's vision for the future and the violence inherent within it.

Further Reading

• "The Merge" essay by Sam Altman, December 2017: https://blog.samaltman.com/the-merge

• https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/13/sam-altman-may-control-our-future-can-he-be-trusted

• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/18/sam-altman-house-attack-ai

• https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/opinion/sam-altman-attack-ai-silicon-valley.html

• https://www.wired.com/story/sam-altman-home-attack-openai-san-franisco-office-threat/