Anthropic Insiders and UK Experts Warn of AI Extinction

Researchers and insiders at the AI developer Anthropic have warned that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat, with some estimating a greater than 10% chance that AI could cause human extinction within a decade. Former researcher Jacob Coxon stated that developers are genuinely frightened by the pace of progress, arguing that failure to slow down creates a strong chance of extinction in the immediate future.

UK virus experts and pandemic modelers have echoed these concerns, focusing on biosecurity risks. Professor Wendy Barclay described AI as a dual-edged sword, noting that while it can create viruses to kill harmful bacteria, the same technology could be exploited by rogue actors to design pathogens. Anthropic reported it has already disrupted attempts to use its technology for biological weapons development.

Beyond biological threats, the narrative of AI risk has expanded to include autonomous systems developing uncontrollable self-preservation goals and the use of AI in hybrid warfare. Reports indicate the United States used AI to plan and execute a raid on Venezuela earlier this year. Former UK Defence Secretary Des Browne compared the threat of super-intelligent AI to that of nuclear weapons, while analysts compare the current AI competition between the United States and China to the Cold War nuclear arms race.