The summer of 2026 was a clear turning point in the AI narrative—with some AI agents going “rogue” and industry insiders suggesting that advanced AI might kill us all in the next decade. But is any of this real? wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The risk of nuclear catastrophe is real, as is the fallout of the China–US domination game (hi there, spies). But no need to panic about Skynet.

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WIRED asked a panel of engineers, operators, researchers, and philosophers about the AI catastrophes that worry them the most—and the least. wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The risk of nuclear catastrophe is real, as is the fallout of the China–US domination game (hi there, spies). But no need to panic about Skynet.

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Nearly everyone WIRED spoke to expressed genuine concerns about the threat of cyber and biological attacks. wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
Steph Guerra, molecular biologist and bio-security expert at Rand Corporation; conducts research at the intersection of AI and biotechnology. Biggest concern: lab leaks

ALT Steph Guerra, molecular biologist and bio-security expert at Rand Corporation; conducts research at the intersection of AI and biotechnology. Biggest concern: lab leaks

“We don't have the right response infrastructure or safeguards in place, and we should be acting now to put those in place, given the magnitude of harm that could be possible.” - Steph Guerra, molecular biologist and biosecurity expert at RAND Corporation

ALT “We don't have the right response infrastructure or safeguards in place, and we should be acting now to put those in place, given the magnitude of harm that could be possible.” - Steph Guerra, molecular biologist and biosecurity expert at RAND Corporation

Nov 10, 2026 · 2:20 PM UTC

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One expert who studies the risks of AI in nuclear operations said she’s stunned by how quickly error-prone AI systems are being adopted in defense. AI-enabled attacks in these areas could be catastrophic, if not fully apocalyptic. wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute; former OpenAI senior systems safety engineer. Biggest concern: nuclear catastrophe

ALT Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute; former OpenAI senior systems safety engineer. Biggest concern: nuclear catastrophe

“Part of the modern field of risk assessment was born out of the Manhattan Project. ... How safe is safe enough? That is the question that any safety engineer has to ask, and is core to everything that follows.” - Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and former OpenAI senior systems safety engineer

ALT “Part of the modern field of risk assessment was born out of the Manhattan Project. ... How safe is safe enough? That is the question that any safety engineer has to ask, and is core to everything that follows.” - Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute and former OpenAI senior systems safety engineer

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Most members of the panel were skeptical about any pause in development: They nearly all agreed that, with big AI companies so tightly cuffed to the trains of capitalism, a pause wouldn’t last long. wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The risk of nuclear catastrophe is real, as is the fallout of the China–US domination game (hi there, spies). But no need to panic about Skynet.

wired.com
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“Democracy” and “governance” came up often—or anti-democracy, as more than one person suggested that AI’s current trajectory is tyrannical. wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
Rob Reich, Stanford professor of social ethics of science and technology; adviser on California's AI policies; former adviser for the US AI Safety Institute. Biggest concern: chemical, biological, and radiological threats

ALT Rob Reich, Stanford professor of social ethics of science and technology; adviser on California's AI policies; former adviser for the US AI Safety Institute. Biggest concern: chemical, biological, and radiological threats

“‘Democratizing AI’ sounds pretty worrisome. … When Tech Bros say ‘democratizing,’ it means access, but if you thought for two seconds about what democracy means, it’s the rule of law, it’s governance. Where’s the governance part of your goddamn democratizing AI?” - Rob Reich, Stanford professor of social ethics in technology and AI policy adviser

ALT “‘Democratizing AI’ sounds pretty worrisome. … When Tech Bros say ‘democratizing,’ it means access, but if you thought for two seconds about what democracy means, it’s the rule of law, it’s governance. Where’s the governance part of your goddamn democratizing AI?” - Rob Reich, Stanford professor of social ethics in technology and AI policy adviser

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So, what—or who—will keep us safe from AI? But also, what does it mean to be conscious? To create? To commune with other people? The bigger questions facing humanity are in all our hands. wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The risk of nuclear catastrophe is real, as is the fallout of the China–US domination game (hi there, spies). But no need to panic about Skynet.

wired.com
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Is AI safe? For our ongoing series, WIRED assesses the real threats of artificial intelligence. Read the full article: wired.com/story/the-ai-safet…
The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The AI Safety Debate Has Lost the Plot. We Asked 10 Experts What the Real Nightmares Are

The risk of nuclear catastrophe is real, as is the fallout of the China–US domination game (hi there, spies). But no need to panic about Skynet.

wired.com
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