Former OpenAI and Anthropic researchers tell NYC Council humanity likely to lose control of advanced AI
fortune · reddit · 2026-10-07
Jacob Coxon, a former Anthropic researcher who resigned in September over safety concerns, testified before the New York City Council that humanity is "more likely than not" to lose control of advanced AI, potentially ending in human extinction.
Key points from the hearing:
- Daniel Kokotajlo (ex-OpenAI, testifying under subpoena) argued companies may not even know when their safety work fails, and that AI research resembles psychology more than engineering since systems are "grown, not designed."
- Alex Turner, who left Google DeepMind in June over a Pentagon contract, also testified.
- The hearing was the City Council's first Committee of the Whole since 2022, convened to weigh a package of AI bills from Speaker Julie Menin.
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