Anthropic researcher says over 10% chance AI could wipe out humanity
ai-safety alignment anthropic
| Source: Mastodon | Original article
An Anthropic researcher says there is over a 10% chance that AI could wipe out humanity.
Anthropic’s lead AI‑alignment researcher has warned that there is “more than a 10 percent chance” artificial intelligence could cause human extinction within the next ten years. In a resignation note, the departing scientist – identified in internal reports as Jan Leike – stressed that the assessment is not a publicity stunt but reflects a genuine belief among many AI developers that the technology could “kill us all by the end of the decade.”
The warning follows a wave of internal dissent at leading labs. Earlier this month we reported that Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon quit, saying the people building AI “earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” Leike’s statement adds a quantitative estimate to that sentiment and underscores growing alarm that rapid capability gains may outpace safety controls.
Why it matters is twofold. First, a senior alignment lead attaching a concrete probability to existential risk lends weight to calls for tighter oversight, a topic already hotly debated after OpenAI and Anthropic’s recent responsibility pledges. Second, the public nature of the warning could pressure investors, regulators and corporate boards to demand more transparent risk‑assessment processes before deploying advanced models.
What to watch next are the industry’s concrete responses. Anthropic has not yet issued a formal comment, but analysts expect a review of its safety roadmap and possible revisions to its development timeline. Policymakers in the EU and the United States are likely to cite the warning in upcoming AI‑risk hearings, while rival labs may either double down on safety research or push back, arguing that the estimate is speculative. The next few weeks could therefore shape whether the AI community moves toward a more cautious pace or continues its current acceleration.
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