Tech executives are hiring armed bodyguards amid escalating physical t

Leading artificial intelligence companies and their top executives are beefing up security and traveling with armed guards. The Wall Street Journal reports that tech companies are now incorporating security details into their corporate budgets, which was extremely rare just a few years ago.

The shift follows a series of violent threats, including an incident earlier this year where a 20-year-old anti-AI activist armed with a gun and a Molotov cocktail tried to firebomb OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home. Additionally, a man snuck into Anthropic's headquarters and threatened to kill an executive before being detained.

The intensifying backlash is driven by public fears of mass layoffs and wealth consolidation. Security firms report a significant surge in demand for bodyguards and secure transport from Silicon Valley executives who no longer feel safe traveling without protection.