Anthropic alignment lead puts AI extinction risk at 10%; lawmaker proposes 5-point federal oversight plan
ShakeelHashim · x · 2026-09-10
Rep. Ro Khanna relayed Anthropic's alignment lead's assessment that AI poses a 10% chance of human extinction — driven not just by misuse but by lack of control — and called the US government "asleep."
His five proposals:
- A federal agency modeled on nuclear/aviation regulators
- Pre-certification for containment, including kill switches and human approval for rewrites
- Liability plus mandatory insurance for agentic AI on the open internet
- Criminal penalties for releasing uncertified models
- Oversight hearings with researchers and whistleblower protections
He also urges a US-China agreement on safety, containment and liability standards to avoid a devastating race. The quoted commentary notes builders privately express more fear than their public statements suggest.
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