A researcher who helped build some of the world’s most powerful AI systems has walked away from the industry. Now, Jacob Coxon has shared a terrifying warning that humanity’s future could be at risk.
Jacob Coxon, 27, has worked on AI research at both OpenAI and Anthropic. But after joining Anthropic, a company known for its focus on AI safety, he decided he could no longer take part in the race.
On Tuesday, on X, Coxon said he had quit his role and shared a serious, terrifying claim about what could happen next. Essentially, he accused the industry of “gambling with our lives.”
“I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives,” Coxon began his lengthy post.
“Do not underestimate the power of this technology. These will soon be superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources. We have all witnessed the progress in each of these domains, and progress is not slowing.”
AI expert shares terrifying warning about how humanity can be wiped out
He continued, “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade. This is not a marketing stunt. If anything, many executives and senior researchers will couch their phrasing in the press to sound sensible – but I hear the same people express fear privately. No other human activity poses this level of danger.”
Jacob Coxon further claimed that Anthropic understands many of the dangers better than some of its competitors. However, the danger is that the intense competition between AI companies is pushing everyone to move faster.
That, moving forward, could leave safety measures struggling to keep up. Other AI researchers have raised similar concerns. Anthropic safety researcher Evan Hubinger aklso took to X to acknowledge Coxon’s thoughts.
“Jacob is correct here—we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think it is >10% within the next decade. I believe Anthropic is trying its best, but we do not yet have a plan to solve alignment for superintelligence and are not clearly on track to,” Hubinger wrote.
A growing debate
Coxon’s decision has added another voice to the growing debate over AI — and what role it really should play in our lives. The argument has largely been split in two for years.
Some fear increasingly powerful AI could replace millions of workers, changing the job market forever and leaving many people struggling to find the simplest work. Meanwhile, others believe AI will do the opposite, creating entirely new industries and jobs while letting humans focus on work machines cannot easily replace.
Time will tell what the right answer will be.
What are your thoughts on Jacob Coxon’s claim about AI? And where do you stand in the debate surrounding AI as a whole? Please share your opinion in the comment section.
Read more:
