OpenAI confirmed that it conducts exercises to prepare for various circumstances but stated it does not view such catastrophes as inevitable. Anthropic declined to comment. While executives focus on 2027, some industry insiders expect a major incident within the next 6 to 12 months. The companies are also engaging with Congress to influence the legislation and policies that lawmakers might adopt after the first catastrophic AI event.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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AI Execs Plan for Public Revolt After Disasters Expected Within 12 Months
AI12 days ago
Leaders of the world's most prominent AI labs are secretly simulating the political backlash and public anger that would follow a widespread AI system failure. Executives at OpenAI, Anthropic, and other firms are drafting plans to manage a possible sociopolitical uprising, with some simulating an event as early as 2027. These preparedness exercises include red-teaming AI-driven cyberattacks that could disable power grids, water systems, financial services, and internet access, according to reporting from Axios.
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