AI firms plan for public revolt after catastrophic event

Senior executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other artificial intelligence companies are privately working through scenarios for a public and political revolt that could follow a catastrophic AI event, Axios reported Friday. Many industry insiders told the outlet they expect such an event within the next six to 12 months.axios

The planners think the most likely trigger is a large-scale cyberattack that cuts off access to financial services, internet connectivity, or even power and water, according to Axios. The first case of major real-world harm caused by unsafe AI would likely turn an already wary public further against the technology and its leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. It could also hurt President Trump, who has been reluctant to regulate the industry.axios

Preparing Congress for the aftermath

Axios reported that the work includes red-teaming worst-case scenarios, but it centers on a push to educate members of Congress. Executives know regulation has no chance of passing right now. Even so, they want to shape the laws and policies U.S. leaders will turn to after a first catastrophic event.axios

An OpenAI spokesperson told Axios that the company "conducts preparedness exercises where teams discuss and work through a range of potential scenarios." The spokesperson added: "These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances". Anthropic declined to comment.axios

The industry planners assume Democrats, who have gained ground after the midterms, will move quickly to shut down AI but will run into obstacles. Those obstacles include an aging Congress that may struggle with the technology and an economy tied closely to the AI infrastructure buildout. The more aggressive Democratic proposals include banning superintelligence or pausing advanced AI development. A required kill switch on advanced AI has bipartisan support and some industry buy-in, though experts have questioned whether all AI systems could actually be turned off.axios

Warning signs already visible

Axios pointed to a recent campaign against South Korean financial organizations, including reported breaches at two banks. A hacker from China allegedly used AI tools, including the Chinese-developed model DeepSeek, to steal data from tens of thousands of bank customers. According to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike ↗ 4.57%, the attacker also asked Anthropic's Claude Code for help finding places to sell the stolen data.axios

Cybersecurity professionals also warn that too many open-weight models can already be downloaded freely and used to cause harm. Most of them think the only answer is using AI to fight rogue AI.axios

The report drew quick attention from commentators. Reason's Liz Wolfe highlighted it in her daily roundup. Despite expecting fractured politics, the industry also expects Washington might come together in a real emergency. One Democratic aide told Axios that lawmakers cooperated during COVID and the 2008 financial crisis.reason+1