{
  "id": 6474002,
  "title": "Anthropic researcher quits with a warning: Self-improving AI could \"kill us all\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/anthropic-researcher-quits-with-a-warning-self-improving-ai-could",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-09T16:59:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica",
    "slug": "ars-technica",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/09/anthropic-researcher-quits-with-a-warning-self-improving-ai-could-kill-us-all/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "AI researcher Jacob Coxon has resigned from his position at Anthropic, a leading artificial intelligence laboratory, to warn of the potentially catastrophic consequences of self-improving superintelligence. In a social media thread, Coxon expressed concern that these advanced systems, which the company earnestly believes could pose an existential threat, could \"kill us all by the end of the decade.\" He argued that the risk lies not only in today's existing models but in the prospect of self-improving superintelligence that could revolutionize any field overnight and accumulate vast resources. Coxon suggested that some researchers working on these models may not fully comprehend the \"civilizational stakes\" or may be driven to accelerate the race to superintelligence to prevent others from achieving it first. Anthropic's Alignment Science lead, Evan Hubinger, acknowledged Coxon's concerns, stating that the company \"really does earnestly believe AI could kill all humans\" and personally estimated a 10% chance of this happening within the next decade.",
  "summary": "\"We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Verge",
        "title": "Worried Anthropic researchers warn that AI ‘could kill all humans’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/worried-anthropic-researchers-warn-that-ai-could-kill-all-humans",
        "published": "2026-09-09T09:56:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Anthropic researchers warn out-of-control AI could destroy humans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/anthropic-researchers-warn-out-of-control-ai-could-destroy-humans",
        "published": "2026-09-09T15:02:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Business",
        "title": "Anthropic researchers say AI could cause human extinction by 2030",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/anthropic-researchers-say-ai-could-cause-human-extinction-by-2030",
        "published": "2026-09-09T15:53:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "‘Could kill us all’: Anthropic insiders say AI has more than 10% chance of ending humanity – soon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/could-kill-us-all-anthropic-insiders-say-ai-has-more-than-10-chance",
        "published": "2026-09-09T19:45:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "‘Could kill us all’: Anthropic insiders say AI has more than 10% chance of ending humanity – soon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/could-kill-us-all-anthropic-insiders-say-ai-has-more-than-10-chance-6469461",
        "published": "2026-09-09T19:45:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The New Stack",
        "title": "“It could kill us all”: what Anthropic’s own researchers really think about superintelligence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/it-could-kill-us-all-what-anthropics-own-researchers-really-think",
        "published": "2026-09-09T19:51:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "What to make of alarming AI warnings from researchers tied to Anthropic",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/what-to-make-of-alarming-ai-warnings-from-researchers-tied-to",
        "published": "2026-09-09T21:04:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}