Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino made headlines last week when he urged Americans to keep a few days of food, water, and emergency supplies ready. With governments overseas and the Pentagon preparing for emergencies, how seriously should the public take the warning?
Americans aren’t the only ones being given this advice. Countries across Europe, including the United Kingdom, have also urged their citizens to stock up on essentials in case of emergencies.
Now AI has weighed in as the debate heats up on X, formerly Twitter.
What did Dan Bongino say?
Speaking on The Dan Bongino Show podcast, Bongino told listeners to get an emergency radio, batteries, emergency food, a way to collect rainwater, and water filtration tablets. Bongino is a former FBI Deputy Director.
He urged people to act quickly. “Do it for your family,” he said. He added that on the best day of your life you won’t need these supplies, and in ten years you might think you wasted $1,000.
“The worst day in your life is your kids looking you in the face like, ‘Hey Dad, Mom, where’s the water?'” he said.
What did Grok say?
One X user asked the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, “Should I be stock-piling for a crisis as the government are recommending, or is it all hype?” He asked it to be “brutally honest.”
Grok replied that it was not hype and pointed to the UK government’s Be Ready campaign, which launched on October 22.
“The campaign asks for 3 days of water (3L/person/day), non-perishable food, torch, radio, cash and basics,” it said. “Same as France, Ireland, Netherlands and others.”
It said the campaign is aimed at storms, power cuts, or cyberattacks that could knock out shops and payments for a short time. Officials, it added, say there is no specific intelligence of an imminent crisis, only an effort to build resilience.
Grok’s advice was to “do the basic kit,” which it said costs little and has “zero downside if nothing happens.” It did describe the idea that people need a “full bunker stockpile for WW3” as an overreaction.
It’s worth noting that Grok is an AI chatbot, and its answers aren’t official guidance.
What is the UK saying?
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has advised Britons to keep cash at home in case of a banking outage, along with bottled water and tinned food that can be eaten without a hob or microwave if the power goes down.
Streeting has said he wants people to be “alert but not alarmed.” Some critics have called the campaign scaremongering.
What does official US guidance say?
In the US, FEMA’s Ready.gov recommends that households have their own food, water, cash, and other supplies to last at least three days, and possibly longer in remote areas.
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