Inside the Rationalist Movement: How an AI Safety Community Became Linked to Multiple Violent Crimes

A series of violent incidents across the United States has been linked to former members of the Rationalist community, a Bay Area intellectual movement focused on preventing an AI apocalypse. Key figures, including Ziz Lasota and several associates, are now jailed or dead following murders, assaults, and a fatal shootout with federal agents. The events trace back to a deep disillusionment with the movement’s leadership and a radical ideological shift.

According to source material from Rolling Stone, the individuals were initially drawn to the area by the writings of Eliezer Yudkowsky. They believed superhuman artificial intelligence posed an existential threat. After becoming estranged from core institutions, a faction embraced an extreme interpretation of Rationalist theories, which observers link to subsequent violence.

A Dream of Saving the World Sours into Disillusionment

Ziz Lasota and Gwen Danielson moved to the Bay Area to dedicate themselves to AI safety. They planned a “Rationalist Fleet” of boats to live on cheaply and focus on saving humanity. Financial struggles and disputes with authorities plagued their efforts aboard the tugboat Caleb.

Their frustration grew with the community’s leading organizations, the Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) and the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI). They learned MIRI had settled with a disgruntled former employee, which they viewed as a catastrophic failure of rational decision-making. This betrayal fueled their growing exit from the community.

Protest and Ejection Lead to a Dangerous Path

In November 2019, Lasota, Danielson, and two others staged a protest at a CFAR alumni reunion. Dressed in dark robes and masks, they distributed leaflets condemning the organizations. The police response was severe, involving a SWAT team. The four were arrested and charged with multiple crimes.

This event marked their final break from the Rationalist community. They were banned from forums and community spaces. Forced off their boat and struggling legally, they moved onto a lot in Vallejo, California, owned by Curtis Lind. There, their ideology further radicalized, focusing on veganism and a concept of “collapsing timelines” to erase past harms.

A Trail of Violence Follows the Fractured Group

The situation deteriorated into violence. In November 2022, a confrontation on Lind’s property left associate Emma Borhanian dead and Lind severely injured. Somni Leatham and another associate were charged with murder. Lind was later killed in a separate attack in January 2025.

Other associates were involved in separate violent incidents. In January 2025, two were in a shootout with U.S. Border Patrol that left one agent dead. In early 2023, Lasota was found with Daniel Blank and Jamie Zajko, persons of interest in the murder of Zajko’s parents. Lasota, Blank, and Zajko were later arrested in Maryland on weapons charges.

The story of this Rationalist movement faction is a tragic arc from lofty ambitions to violent outcomes. It underscores how extremist interpretations of complex theories, combined with personal grievance and isolation, can have devastating real-world consequences.

Thought you’d like to know

What is the Rationalist movement?

It’s a community centered on overcoming cognitive biases and using reason to tackle global problems. A primary focus for many was the existential risk they believe is posed by advanced artificial intelligence. Prominent forums include LessWrong.

Who is Eliezer Yudkowsky?

He is a leading thinker and writer who helped found the modern Rationalist movement. His essays, *The Sequences*, and his AI safety work at MIRI inspired many to move to the Bay Area. He has repeatedly warned about the dangers of superhuman AI.

How many people have been killed or injured in these events?

According to reports, at least five people are dead, including a Border Patrol agent and landlord Curtis Lind. Several others have been seriously injured. Multiple individuals are currently facing murder or attempted murder charges in connection with these cases.

What is “Timeless Decision Theory”?

It’s a decision-making framework developed by Yudkowsky. The simplified idea is that your choices define what kind of agent you are across all possible simulations. The faction around Lasota is accused of adopting a violent misinterpretation of this theory.

What are the current legal statuses of the main figures?

Ziz Lasota is jailed in Maryland on federal weapons charges. Gwen Danielson is facing misdemeanor charges from the 2019 protest. Associates Somni Leatham, Maximillian Snyder, and Teresa Youngblut are all awaiting trial on separate murder charges in California and Vermont.