Plot forms against California tech companies with move that could force office closures as violent threats mount

Artificial intelligence giants are facing a new fear after security officers guarding Bay Area and Silicon Valley offices announced plans to strike, forcing possible closures as violent threats mount.

Security officers at companies including Anthropic, Microsoft, OpenAI, Google and Amazon are planning to strike Friday over a contract dispute involving wages, potentially forcing some tech offices to close or send workers home.

SEIU-United Services Workers West, the union representing about 14,000 security officers in California, submitted plans for a strike beginning after 4:30 a.m., Business Insider reported.

The dispute centers on proposed raises that the union says “doesn’t address the cost of living crisis.”

“After months of bargaining, several multi-billion dollar security companies like Allied Universal, Securitas, GardaWorld, Prosegur, and Inter-Con, offered workers a mere 65 cent raise over the next two years,” the union said in a statement to KRON.

Earlier this month, security workers rallied in downtown San Francisco to highlight what they described as a widening wealth gap between the guards protecting tech executives and the workers inside the companies they guard.

“Protect the rich, while we get poor? Hell no, we won’t take it no more, hell no, we won’t take it no more!” SEIU members chanted, according to KRON.

“Here I am standing here watching this, being paid pennies. Pennies. And that hurts. You know, in my heart’s feeling bad about this man. Now, how can that be fair?” Allied Universal security guard Jerry LaGuardia added.

If the strike happens, some companies could be forced to close their doors and have employees work remotely.

Anthropic warned employees last month that it was preparing for remote work after hearing from its security firm about potential staffing problems tied to the strike, Business Insider reported.

A union representative told the outlet that negotiations with the security companies were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, meaning the walkout is not yet guaranteed.

The looming strike comes as AI companies face growing security concerns and a backlash over the rapidly expanding technology.

Earlier this year, a man reportedly slipped into Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters to deliver a chilling warning that a top executive was “going to be killed.”

On April 15, a man entered the San Francisco headquarters of Anthropic, the world’s most valuable AI startup, by closely following behind an employee who swiped in with their badge, according to the Wall Street Journal.

A security guard moved to stop the intruder, who then produced an envelope bearing the name of a top Anthropic executive. The man warned that the executive was “going to be killed” and said he needed to alert someone, according to the report, which cited records of the incident.

The incident came just days after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s San Francisco home was allegedly targeted in an attempted firebombing. The mansion was reportedly targeted again that same week when a car pulled up outside and a passenger fired a shot, according to law enforcement.

Anthropic did not confirm the April incident, telling The Post that it has maintained 24/7 security since 2024 and regularly communicates with employees about emerging threats.

A company spokesperson told the Journal that its security team is trained to seek de-escalation and not to detain people.

Public opinion has fast turned against AI as the new tech is increasingly cited as a leading reason for layoffs.