Sam Altman served with subpoena during live talk with Steve Kerr in San Francisco

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was unexpectedly served with a subpoena during a live speaking event alongside Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr in San Francisco.

The incident took place on November 3, 2025, at the Sydney Goldstein Theater, where Altman and Kerr were on stage for a public discussion moderated by Manny Yekutiel.

According to reports, a man from the audience suddenly jumped onto the stage and claimed he was serving Altman with a subpoena. Yekutiel quickly intervened, blocking the man from reaching Altman as security escorted him away. The paper he carried was handed to theater staff, and the event resumed after a brief disruption.

The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office later confirmed that the man was one of its investigators and had lawfully served Altman. In a statement to SFGATE, spokesperson Valerie Ibarra said Altman was subpoenaed as a “potential witness in a pending criminal case” after several prior attempts to reach him at OpenAI’s headquarters and through its online portal.

Activist group Stop AI, known for organizing protests at OpenAI’s San Francisco office, also claimed responsibility. The group stated that Altman’s subpoena was tied to their upcoming trial, in which members will face charges for non-violent demonstrations aimed at halting what they describe as AI’s “existential threat to humanity.”

Although Altman did not physically accept the subpoena, California law states that refusal does not invalidate service. The event continued without further incident, but the dramatic interruption has reignited debate over AI ethics, civil disobedience, and public accountability in the tech industry.