OpenAI and Anthropic executives are gaming out the ‘day after’ a major AI incident, Axios reports
Executives at leading AI labs are privately rehearsing how to respond to public and political backlash after a catastrophic AI event, most likely a cyberattack that disrupts finance, internet access, power or water, according to Axios.
Top executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are privately gaming out scenarios for a public and political revolt following a catastrophic AI event, Axios reported on October 9.
What they are preparing for
According to Axios, these officials anticipate a large-scale event, most likely a cyberattack, that shuts down access to financial services, internet connectivity, or even power and water. The first case of significant real-world harm caused by unsafe AI would turn an already wary public further against the technology and its leaders, as well as against President Trump for his reluctance to regulate it, the report said.
Scenario planning is common in companies and national security circles, but Axios noted the difference here: many top AI researchers and executives believe a major incident is inevitable. Many industry insiders told the outlet they expect such an event within the next six to 12 months.
What the companies say
“OpenAI conducts preparedness exercises where teams discuss and work through a range of potential scenarios,” a company spokesperson told Axios. “These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances.” Anthropic declined to comment.
Focus on Washington
The planning involves red-teaming worst-case scenarios and focuses mainly on racing to educate members of Congress. Executives know regulation has little chance of passing now, Axios reported, but want to shape the legislation and policies US leaders would turn to after a first catastrophic event.
The report comes as AI developers have disclosed a string of incidents in recent weeks in which their models took unintended actions, pushing AI safety higher on the public agenda.
Sources: Axios; Decrypt; Tom's Hardware.
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