Google DeepMind’s Hassabis calls AI hacks ‘early warning shots’

Recent hacking incidents perpetrated by AI agents are “early ⁠warning shots”, and the world could soon face major incidents if systems are not made more secure, Google DeepMind co-founder and Chair Demis Hassabis said on ‌Wednesday (October 14, 2026).

Rogue behaviour by AI agents, including corporate network hacks and, most recently, Anthropic’s disclosure that an AI model submitted ‌a false homicide tip to police, has prompted warnings from ‌researchers ⁠and fueled concerns over the fast-advancing technology.

Mr. Hassabis said there ⁠was “a lot of work to do” to adopt the kind of best practices that other fields such as biology or the nuclear sector use to secure critical ​systems and that some sort of ‌international standards body would eventually be needed.