A 24-year-old Queensland PhD candidate, Sepehr Saryazdi, is accused of plotting a Molotov cocktail attack on Australia Day celebrations. The court heard he planned the attack to promote a new civilisation led by artificial intelligence. Authorities say he targeted a Gold Coast event, posting online about leading 'riots' on January 26. Saryazdi appeared in Brisbane magistrates court after being charged with planning a terrorist act. Court documents reveal he bought alcohol, wrapping paper, and a blanket from January 4 to 9 in preparation. Crown prosecutor Ellie McDonald said Saryazdi made "extremely concerning" Facebook comments. He wrote, "I’ll be leading the Gold Coast riots on January 26." He urged others to stockpile bottles for the protests. He told police he expected to die in the attack unless killed or lobotomised by Asio, Australia's spy agency. He described the government's trajectory as "purely logical" to oppose and recommended learning to shoot guns while possible. Saryazdi saw the government as "turning tyrannical" and wanted to replace it with a "cybernetics" system managed by AI and data analysis. He reportedly had a document titled "Australia’s future cybernetics government the next phase of civilization." He holds a Master of Mathematical Sciences from the University of Sydney and is a PhD candidate affiliated with CSIRO and the Australian Centre for Robotics. His lawyer, Hellen Shilton, said Saryazdi felt isolated after moving to Brisbane and influenced by new acquaintances and protest videos. She added, "He admits he became quite overwhelmed emotionally... it was never his intention to hurt anyone." She described his choices as "misguided" and said he never joined protests. Magistrate Penelope Hay denied bail, citing the strong prosecution case and serious links to violence. She questioned his claims against his own admissions of planning the attack and attempting to overthrow the government. Saryazdi remains in custody and will next appear in court on February 20.