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Two Mile-Ex buildings that house Mila and a ServiceNow office in Montreal were vandalized overnight, with at least a dozen windows smashed and the words "Burn the Data Centers" sprayed on one façade. Manuel Couture, who represents the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, told reporters that officers discovered the damage around 11:45 p.m., arrested a 25-year-old woman and suspect a group of about 10 people were involved. The incidents took place as the All In AI and tech summit opened at the Palais des congrès, an event expected to draw over 6,500 participants across two days, and, as first reported by CBC News, drew immediate condemnation from summit speakers and officials.
violence is not a response to these risks and worries … which I can understand.
Yoshua Bengio
Key takeaways
- Police say officers found the vandalized Mile-Ex buildings around 11:45 p.m. and arrested a 25-year-old woman; they suspect roughly 10 people were involved.
- At least a dozen windows were smashed and graffiti reading "Burn the Data Centers" was painted on one of the buildings that house Mila and a nearby ServiceNow office.
- The attacks occurred as the All In summit opened at the Palais des congrès, an event expected to bring more than 6,500 AI experts and industry stakeholders over two days.
- Mila is set to formalize a partnership with the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) at the summit, where Yoshua Bengio and ServiceNow VP Valérie Bécaert are speakers.
Table of contents
What police and witnesses report about the Mile-Ex vandalism
Montreal police discovered the damage late Tuesday night in the Mile-Ex neighbourhood, where Mila's downtown offices and a nearby ServiceNow unit are located. Manuel Couture said officers encountered smashed glass and painted slogans on the exteriors around 11:45 p.m., and that a 25-year-old woman was taken in for questioning. He described the incident as the work of a group and estimated roughly 10 people may have been involved.
Photographs and video from the scene show multiple broken panes and spray-painted markings. Reporters on site counted at least a dozen broken windows across the two buildings; one wall carried the slogan "Burn the Data Centers." Passersby and local consultants described the damage as deliberate and targeted at technology facilities, though investigators have not yet disclosed a motive.
ServiceNow and Mila have not released full damage assessments, and the police investigation remains active. The presence of a single person in custody and the suggestion of a larger group mean authorities are treating the episode as an ongoing matter rather than a closed incident.
How the vandalism intersected with the All In summit
The vandalism occurred as the All In AI and tech summit opened at the Palais des congrès in Montreal. Organizers expected the two-day conference to gather over 6,500 people; the summit programming includes sessions on agentic systems, AI safety and industry partnerships. Yoshua Bengio, Mila's founder, is scheduled to speak on Thursday, and ServiceNow's vice-president of AI research, Valérie Bécaert, is listed among the event's speakers.
Mila planned to sign a memorandum of understanding with the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) at the summit to cooperate on agentic AI and technology transfer; leaders from both institutions were reported to sign the agreement during the All In events, and government ministers from Canada and Germany were due to attend. Summit speakers and officials publicly denounced the vandalism at a press event, and Yoshua Bengio told attendees that "violence is not a response to these risks and worries … which I can understand."
Organisers face the immediate task of securing venues and reassuring attendees about safety while proceeding with a packed agenda that includes high-profile panels and bilateral meetings. For companies and researchers using the summit to announce collaborations, the attack complicates messaging about public engagement with AI development.
Public debate on AI safety and how this incident fits in
The vandalism unfolded amid heightened public debate about the pace and risks of advanced AI. In the days before the Montreal events, Jacob Coxon, an Anthropic researcher, posted his resignation and warned that "the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade," a statement that drew widespread attention online. That intervention prompted Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to argue publicly for slowing development on safety grounds, and figures such as Sam Altman, Demis Hassabis and Elon Musk posted responses supporting Amodei's call.
Security experts and some AI researchers have cautioned that high-profile controversy can increase the chances of direct action by opponents, though condemnation from summit speakers and officials was swift in this case. Several attendees described being unsettled by the vandalism, while others said it illustrated the depth of feeling around AI governance and the need for clearer public dialogue.
For research centres and companies the episode may prompt changes in how they present and explain safety work to the public, and it is likely to shape summit conversations that were already focused on trustworthiness, agentic systems and technology transfer between institutions.
| Organization | Location | Reported damage | Associated speaker/role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mila | Mile-Ex, Montreal | At least a dozen windows shattered; graffiti reading "Burn the Data Centers" | Yoshua Bengio, founder; scheduled speaker |
| ServiceNow (local office) | Mile-Ex, Montreal | Multiple windows smashed | Valérie Bécaert, vice-president of AI research; speaker |
How this could affect summit discussions and local response
The case for
- Summit organisers and attendees may use the incident to deepen public-facing sessions on AI safety and transparency, reinforcing commitments such as the Mila-DFKI memorandum.
- Visible condemnation from high-profile speakers could clarify the distinction between peaceful critique of AI policy and illegal direct action, steering debate back to institutional channels.
The case against
- The attack could chill participation by some companies or delegates wary of protest escalation, complicating networking and partnership talks planned across two summit days.
- Heightened security measures and negative headlines may push organisers to shorten or limit public-access sessions, reducing opportunities for wider community engagement on governance.
What to be careful about
- Further property damage or protests near summit venues that disrupt scheduled panels or bilateral meetings.
- Escalation of threats against research facilities that could require long-term increases in private and public security spending.
- Mischaracterisation of safety research in public discourse, amplifying mistrust between communities and AI institutions.
The bottom line
The Mile-Ex vandalism has become a live test of how the AI community and public authorities handle protests and security during a major industry gathering. Police action — an arrest and an active investigation — addresses the immediate law-enforcement response, while summit organisers and speakers are left to manage the reputational and practical fallout at an event meant to advance research and partnerships. The episode is likely to sharpen summit discussions about safety and public trust in AI, and attendees and officials will be watching for further police updates and statements from participating institutions.
What to watch
- Watch for Yoshua Bengio's scheduled Thursday speech at the All In summit.
- Watch for any further police updates or charges stemming from the Mile-Ex vandalism; no date has been set for additional announcements.
Frequently asked questions
Which organisations were vandalized in Montreal?
Buildings that house Mila and a nearby ServiceNow office in the Mile-Ex neighbourhood were targeted; reporters on site counted at least a dozen broken windows and graffiti on one façade.
Were there arrests after the vandalism?
Police discovered the damage around 11:45 p.m., arrested a 25-year-old woman and said they suspect a group of about 10 people; those details were provided by Manuel Couture.
How did the vandalism relate to the All In summit?
The incidents happened as the All In AI and tech summit opened at the Palais des congrès, an event expected to draw over 6,500 participants across two days; summit speakers including Yoshua Bengio and Valérie Bécaert publicly condemned the acts.
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