It is no secret that artificial intelligence has commandeered a large space in our society. While it has been around for years, developers are now citing it as a danger to humanity’s future. In an interview with the BBC, Jacob Coxon, a former employee of AI firm Anthropic, voiced concerns about what this technology could mean for humanity.
“‘I believe that if we don’t slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future,’” Coxon said.
This story comes at a time when concerns about the abilities of artificial intelligence are increasing, leaving many to believe that an imminent threat to humanity is possible. According to a recent article by CNN reporter T.M. Brown, “doomsdayers” of this technology argue that AI could be capable of creating a deadly virus, becoming sentient enough to wipe humanity out with a robot army, gain access to nukes, or end civilization by simply continuing its current behavior.
While many fear this software, some experts believe that this worry is misplaced. In an article for The Guardian, Professor Alan Woodward at the University of Surrey argued that the internet is far too vast and constantly evolving for AI bots to reasonably take over the Internet, let alone society. He stated that even if AI were used as a tool for societal domination, humans would remain in control.
“‘The AIs would not decide to do it on their own,” Woodward said. “It’s the humans that are responsible and the AI is a tool. That is what we need to control, not the AI.’”
The response of some of AI’s biggest CEOs have also caused a stir. Livesay and Labiak (2026) stated that Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic AI, has called for the slowing down of development for this technology, echoing the request for government regulation from other AI industry leaders – primarily OpenAI’s Sam Altman and xAI’s Elon Musk.
However, some have questioned the motivations behind this push. Politicians have increasingly become divided on this issue. An article from PBS revealed opposing viewpoints from multiple individuals in the current administration, with the president suggesting that it is a “conspiracy.” Regardless, these leaders have requested government oversight and intervention.
While experts and politicians debate about the safeguards that should be put on artificial intelligence, the software continues to advance into all corners of technology. For now, it is a waiting game to determine how dangerous AI really is and one that many across the globe are attempting to understand.
