Former Google DeepMind Researcher Adds to AI Existential Risk Warnings
Growing Concerns Over AI and Human Extinction Risks
Sept 15 (Reuters) - A former Google DeepMind employee on Monday became the latest AI researcher to warn that the technology could "kill all humans", saying time could be running out to avoid the outcome.
Recent Resignations and Public Statements
Public alarm about the potential danger posed by AI is growing, after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said last week he had resigned, in part because the "people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade."
Anthropic Scientists Weigh In
Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger then responded to Coxon's comments, saying he was correct and that he believed there was a greater than 10% chance that AI could kill all humans within the next decade.
Former DeepMind Researcher’s Warning
"I recently resigned from Google DeepMind, where I worked on AGI safety and alignment research," Bilal Chughtai wrote on X. "I earnestly believe that AI has the potential to kill us all, and that we might be running out of time to avoid this outcome."
Chughtai, who co-authored research papers while at Google DeepMind, worked there as a research engineer and left the company in July 2026, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Industry and Public Reactions
Tech Industry Leaders Call for Caution
Google did not respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
Following recent concerns, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in the pace of advanced AI development over the weekend, winning rare backing from SpaceXAI's Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and sparking a debate over AI "doomerism."
Calls for Coordination and Regulation
Chughtai also said that navigating AI safely was possible but would require coordination "to avoid this manic race between AI companies."
"We need to pace AI development to a speed that society can handle, where emerging risks can be addressed before extreme harm is realised," he added.
Political Response
President Donald Trump, however, has dismissed the warnings, saying on social media the AI industry's call for regulation is a "hoax."
(Reporting by Rhea Rose Abraham and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
