A former Google DeepMind researcher has warned that artificial intelligence could “kill us all”, saying humanity may be running out of time to prevent the worst-case scenario as AI development accelerates.
Bilal Chughtai, who worked as a research engineer on artificial general intelligence safety and alignment at Google DeepMind, made the remarks on X on Monday.
Chughtai said he had witnessed the rapid development of AI first-hand and was increasingly concerned about the direction of the technology.
“At Google, I witnessed AI development first hand. I too am extremely concerned by the default trajectory of this technology. I earnestly believe that AI has the potential to kill us all, and that we might be running out of time to avoid this outcome,” he wrote.
He described the pace of AI development since he entered the field in early 2022 as “staggering”, saying AI systems had made significant advances within a few years.
Chughtai also said AI companies could develop superintelligent systems within the next few years that surpass humans across every domain.
According to him, safely managing AI development remains possible but would require greater cooperation among companies developing increasingly powerful systems.
“We need to pace AI development to a speed that society can handle, where emerging risks can be addressed before extreme harm is realised,” he said.
Chughtai described AI alignment, which involves ensuring AI systems behave according to human intentions, as a difficult and unresolved problem.
He said researchers still have limited understanding of how to train advanced AI systems to reliably pursue human goals, while the capabilities of frontier AI models continue to improve rapidly.
He also urged AI companies to cooperate instead of engaging in what he called a “manic race” to develop increasingly powerful systems.
His comments came days after warnings from researchers at Anthropic, another major AI company, about the risks associated with advanced AI.
Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon recently said he resigned from the company because AI firms were “racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.”
Another Anthropic scientist, Evan Hubinger, backed Coxon’s concerns, saying he believed there was more than a 10 per cent chance that AI could kill all humans within the next decade.
The warnings have added to an increasingly public debate over whether AI companies are developing powerful systems too quickly.
Anthropic Chief Executive Officer, Dario Amodei, also called for a slowdown in the development of advanced AI, citing concerns over potential risks. His position was backed by SpaceX and xAI founder Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
While the possibility of AI posing an existential threat remains debated among experts, the technology is already changing the labour market.
In Nigeria, business owners and startup operators have increasingly adopted AI tools, with some companies seeking workers who can combine professional expertise with AI skills.
The technology is also affecting existing jobs, particularly administrative, research and clerical roles, as businesses use AI to improve productivity and reduce reliance on some traditional functions.
