AI safety researchers warn extinction risk is now imminent
Montreal-based, ex-Google and ex-Anthropic researchers say voluntary AI slowdowns fall short of averting catastrophe.
Part of a larger narrative
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What to know
- Three separate researchers — a Montreal-based AI expert, an ex-Google researcher, and former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon — each warned within a 48-hour window that AI-driven human extinction is a near-term risk.
- The core technical fear cited is 'recursive self-improvement': AI systems advancing without human input, which researchers say could arrive within three to five years.
- Warnings explicitly criticize the AI industry's current voluntary slowdown efforts as insufficient to prevent catastrophic outcomes.
- Online reaction so far is limited but includes commenters pointing to specific pathways to catastrophe, such as AI-assisted bioweapons development and use by rogue state or non-state actors.
Jacob Coxon Former Anthropic researcherMontreal-based AI expert AI researcher (unnamed in coverage)Ex-Google AI researcher AI researcher (unnamed in coverage)
How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesvideospostscomments
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Commenters debate specific pathways to AI-driven catastrophe
In reddit discussion of the coverage, commenters argue there are many distinct extinction scenarios rather than one, and point to AI-assisted bioweapon development and use by factions unbound by treaties as concrete risks.
“some more scenarios. Why is there so many? because it'd be like demanding people to only have one way of getting rid of an ants nest when there are a multitude of ways to rid yourself of the issue.”
— blueSGL -
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So if AI were to cause our immediate extinction, would that improve other species’ chances of survival?
2 more of the top 3 · 13 posts in this stretch
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Yeah, but I see that as a difference. The dotcom bubble was not internet technology bubble as such. And internet did not needed those huge valuations and debt. And third, there were many companies living off dotcom bubble and then dying. Meanwhile AI requires a lot of money to keep going. Especially at training. It requires huge debt. It is also…
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AI companies could be required to report 'rogue' AI incidents like OpenAI's HuggingFace hack, under a proposal being considered by the Australian federal government for its 'AI standards', the new rules for tech companies and data centres operators. https://www. abc.net.au/news/2026-09-18/aus…
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Ex-Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warns of extinction by decade's end
In a Reuters broadcast segment, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warns AI could wipe out humanity by the end of the decade, driven by fears of 'recursive self-improvement' — AI systems advancing without human input within three to five years.
“Used as a weapon, it could give smaller factions a ln upper hand, ones that don't care about nuclear treaties, etc.”
— BYoungNY, reddit commenter · source -
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NOW PLAYING == Reuters World News: Self-improving AI has led to doomsday warnings. Here’s what you need to know | Reuters World News https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=yLKFonVoubM # vsn # radio # news # reuters # DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft # SupportIndependentMedia # Resist
1 more of the top 2 · 2 posts in this stretch
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Used as a weapon, it could give smaller factions a ln upper hand, ones that don't care about nuclear treaties, etc. There's also the biotech side, that has been proven to be used in at least attempts at this point of actors trying to build bioweapons using AI modeling on existing viruses to make them more deadly.
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Ex-Google researcher says humanity is 'running out of time' on AI
The Telegraph publishes a warning from a former Google AI researcher that humanity is running out of time before advanced AI poses a lethal threat.
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2 outlets first by The Telegraph, 8d ago · also Telegraph · read ↗
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Montreal-based AI expert warns extinction is 'just a matter of time'
CTV News reports comments from a Montreal-based AI expert stating that human extinction is 'just a matter of time' if the AI industry's slowdown plan does not go far enough.
“just a matter of time…”
— Montreal-based AI expert -
1 outlet first by CTV News, 8d ago · read ↗
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Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet
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first by Yahoo Finance, 7d ago · also The Verge, WSJ Markets
1 more headline
- The AI Superintelligence Slowdown The Verge · 7d ago
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2 outlets Inside AI's growing safety debate
first by Forbes India, 4d ago · also Indian Express
1 more headline
- The AI safety debate: Why ‘pacing the frontier’ comes with pitfalls The Indian Express · 4d ago
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2 outlets The Forensic Gap in AI Safety Laws
first by Lawfare, 6d ago · also The Seattle Times
1 more headline
- The AI safety paradox The Seattle Times · 4d ago
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first by The Telegraph, 6d ago · also The Times
1 more headline
- Mathematicians fear AI curbs may come too late to save humanity The Times · 6d ago
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first by Boston Globe, 3d ago · also The Boston Globe
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first by ABC Australia, 6d ago · also ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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first by Mastodon, 6d ago · also BBC
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first by Reuters, 7d ago · also Channel News Asia
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first by BBC Business, 8d ago · also BBC
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first by The Guardian, 9d ago · also Guardian US
1 more headline
- AI safety requires more than just slowing our pace | Stuart Russell Guardian Business · 8d ago
and 17 smaller pieces
What people are saying 8 voices from 3 sites · best of 15 · verbatim
- Sep 20
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https://www. europesays.com/3261455/ How to slow down AI development without crashing the economy # Economy
- Sep 19
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I think those who signed this all have permanent positions and dont need to worry. But they worry about their students and postdocs
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How about this baby: How much of Musk’s wealth comes from government help? Virtually all of it
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Exiled to the south pole? How about to the polar bear pit on live stream... the polar bears hunger for nazi flesh, but mostly they're just hungry. Win, win on all accounts.
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What about diesel prices? Wage stagnation? Low job creation in every other sector? The ‘economy’ is not equal to the stock market, the economy has been the verge of a steep downturn for a long time. Shipping and food prices are about to SOAR. We’re in a real tight spot, and congress has done NOTHING to address these very real problems in several…
- Sep 18
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https://www. abc.net.au/news/2026-09-18/aus tralian-ai-data-centre-national-standards-consultation/107167464 "We elect hyenas to look after goats, and when the goats go missing, we wonder why." 一Patrice Lumumba
- Sep 16
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Anthropic & OpenAI have different economic imperatives from Wall Street. The AI developers need to slow down to limit their burn rate & improve their balance sheets. Wall Street needs capex high because there's nothing else moving in the economy. That tension is lowkey driving the debate.
- Sep 15
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# BBC # News # Business Why doomsday warnings are not the only threat to the AI juggernaut