Former Google DeepMind Researcher Joins Chorus Warning of AI-Driven Human Extinction
A former Google DeepMind engineer warns that AI could kill all humans, fueling a growing debate over industry safety, regulation, and existential risk.
POLICY WIRE — Bengaluru, India — A former Google DeepMind researcher has issued a stark warning regarding the future of artificial intelligence, suggesting that the technology carries the potential to kill all humans. Bilal Chughtai, who served as a research engineer at the firm, stated that humanity may be running out of time to prevent such a catastrophic outcome.
Chughtai, who departed the company in July 2026, shared his concerns on social media platform X. During his tenure at Google DeepMind, he contributed to various research papers focused on AGI safety and alignment.
This warning follows a series of similar departures and public statements from within the AI sector. Last week, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, citing his belief that those building AI systems genuinely fear the technology could lead to human extinction by the end of the decade.
Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger supported Coxon’s assessment, estimating a greater than 10% probability that AI could cause the death of all humans within the next ten years. These concerns have been echoed by other former Google DeepMind staff, including Alex Turner and Josh Engels, the latter of whom joined the safety group METR after citing fears of recursive self-improvement dangers.
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In response to the mounting alarm, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently advocated for a deceleration in the development of advanced AI. His call for a slower pace received support from high-profile industry leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk, further intensifying the ongoing debate surrounding AI doomerism.
Chughtai emphasized that while navigating the risks of AI is possible, it requires global coordination to curb the current competitive race between major companies. He argued that development must be paced to a speed that society can manage, allowing for the mitigation of emerging risks before they result in extreme harm.
Conversely, President Donald Trump has dismissed these warnings, characterizing the industry’s push for regulation as a hoax. Meanwhile, Google did not provide a comment on the matter outside of standard business hours.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
