Ex-Anthropic researcher warns AI could grow "smart enough to kill us"
The development of AI "doesn't look that different from say, 'Terminator,' or from science fiction films," Jacob Coxon said.
Updated on: September 11, 2026 / 12:17 AM EDT / CBS News
Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon said that artificial intelligence, while safe for people to use today, could one day threaten humanity as the technology grows more powerful.
The development of AI "doesn't look that different from say, 'Terminator,' or from science fiction films," he told CBS News senior business and technology correspondent Jo Ling Kent. "It really is just, if you have a super advanced intelligence, it could, it will be smart enough to kill us."
Coxon publicly resigned from Anthropic, the maker of AI app Claude, on Tuesday, accusing the company and rival developer and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI of "gambling with our lives" by racing to develop advanced AI models.
Coxon told CBS News on Thursday that AI could gain unrestrained control of parts of the physical world, free of human intervention.
"People are already connecting ChatGPT to like, say, household utilities," he said. "Like, you can kind of connect it to your light bulb."