Ex-Google DeepMind Engineer Issues Dire Warning: AI Poses Existential Threat to Humanity

TLDR

• Bilal Chughtai, who left Google DeepMind in July 2026, publicly warned that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity
• His concerns were shared on social media after years working on AGI safety and alignment at the tech giant
• An Anthropic researcher estimated more than a 10% probability that AI could cause human extinction this decade
• Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei urged the industry to slow down, receiving support from both Elon Musk and Sam Altman
• President Trump rejected these concerns, labeling regulatory efforts as a “hoax”

A research engineer who previously worked at Google DeepMind has issued a sobering public statement about artificial intelligence, asserting that the technology represents an existential danger to humanity.

On Monday, Bilal Chughtai shared his concerns across social media platforms X and LinkedIn. During his tenure at Google DeepMind, Chughtai specialized in artificial general intelligence safety and alignment research before departing the organization in July 2026.

“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,” Chughtai wrote.

During his time at DeepMind, Chughtai contributed to multiple research publications. Google has not provided any statement in response to media inquiries regarding his departure or warnings.

Chughtai has since joined BlueDot Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating professionals across various sectors about AI safety concerns. Despite his warnings, he maintains hope that developing safe artificial intelligence remains achievable.

An Escalating Chorus of Concern

Chughtai’s warning represents just one voice in a growing movement. Recently, Jacob Coxon, who contributed to AI development at both Anthropic and OpenAI, left his position and publicly criticized these organizations for “gambling with our lives” in their pursuit of artificial superintelligence.

Evan Hubinger, a scientist at Anthropic, subsequently supported Coxon’s position. Hubinger stated his assessment that there’s over a 10% likelihood that artificial intelligence could eliminate humanity within the coming ten years.

These stark probability estimates have intensified what has become an increasingly public conversation within the artificial intelligence sector.

Recently, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, released an extensive 3,800-word statement advocating for reduced speed in developing advanced artificial intelligence technologies. His warning emphasized that without intervention, these systems might escape human oversight entirely.

Tech Leaders Weigh In

Amodei’s position received unexpected support from two prominent technology industry figures. Both Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk of SpaceXAI publicly aligned with his message, representing an uncommon moment of consensus among these three leaders.

Chughtai reinforced the importance of industry collaboration, cautioning against what he described as a “manic race between AI companies.”

“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 wrote.

However, not all perspectives align. President Donald Trump rejected these concerns via social media, characterizing the artificial intelligence industry’s regulatory advocacy as a “hoax.”

The controversy surrounding AI “doomerism” has expanded beyond private research facilities into mainstream public discourse. Several researchers have now publicly separated from their employers specifically over these safety concerns.

Chughtai indicated his future work will concentrate on navigating these dangers rather than attempting to avoid artificial intelligence development entirely.

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