AI has quickly become part of nearly every facet of daily life, and so has the controversy surrounding it. But could increasingly powerful AI eventually threaten humanity itself?
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic. He then took to X to issue a stark warning about where the industry is headed.
“Do not underestimate the power of this technology,” Coxon wrote on X. “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.”
Coxon said many of the people developing AI believe the technology could “kill us all by the end of the decade.”
He added, “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.”
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…
— Jacob Coxon (@hilbertspaess) September 9, 2026
Other Anthropic employees backed Coxon’s concerns, including alignment-science lead Evan Hubinger.
“Jacob is correct here — we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!” Hubinger replied. “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.”
Bill Gates Echoes Researchers’ Growing Concerns About AI
The warnings from Anthropic researchers come after billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates raised his own concerns about AI.
In an Aug. 26, 2026, blog post, Gates noted that AI has made significant progress in the last decade and continues to advance at a “mind-blowing rate.”
“In terms of equity, AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice,” Gates wrote. “The challenge is monumental. Even under the best circumstances, the transition to this new AI era will be one of the most turbulent times in human history.”
Gates cited job disruption, fraud, disinformation, surveillance, and deepfakes, among AI’s everyday risks. He also highlighted growing cybersecurity and biological threats and concerns about AI’s effect on human development and relationships.
“Unfortunately, right now we are not preparing for it. I don’t see evidence that leaders, experts, and communities are confronting the challenges adequately.” Gates wrote, warning that people may be underestimating just how disruptive the technology could become.
AI’s Risks Come With Potential Rewards
Despite his concerns, Gates argued the technology could deliver enormous benefits in areas including health, education, and economic opportunity if developed and deployed responsibly — and he plans to help make that happen.
“You have a chance to act now, before unemployment rises sharply, communities are hurting, and public trust has eroded,” Gates wrote in a message to leaders. “You can make sure that your government handles the problem holistically, rather than divvying it up into multiple bureaucratic fiefdoms. You can make sure AI benefits everyone. And you can work with other governments to meet this national and global challenge.”
As AI systems become increasingly powerful, they could begin acting against human interests, potentially causing humans to lose control. Even the slightest possibility of that happening helps explain why Coxon, Hubinger, Gates, and others are urging greater attention to the risks now.