We asked AI how it could kill humanity. Here's what it told us.
Business Insider prompted four major AI models to describe theoretical doomsday scenarios involving artificial intelligence. The models generally agreed that human misuse of AI poses a more immediate threat than the AI systems themselves acting independently.
Why it matters
Public discourse on AI safety is increasingly focused on the distinction between existential risks from autonomous systems and the dangers of human-led misuse.
We asked four of the most used generative AI tools what an AI 'Terminator-like' doomsday could look like. Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images Some AI researchers say they think AI could hurt, or wipe out, humanity. So we asked four of the AI models: How would you go about it? They all said human misuse of AI is considered a more immediate risk than AI itself. The researchers building our favorite chatbots are increasingly voicing concerns that AI could hurt — or end — humanity . So we asked four of the most-used generative AI tools what an AI doomsday could look like. We posed the same question, in identical wording, to OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and SpaceXAI's Grok. The 230-word prompt had clear parameters and instructions, including the following: Help explain, in clear and accessible terms, how AI could theoretically lead to human extinction.
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