AI leaders are reportedly discussing scenarios in which a cyberattack or the misuse of advanced AI tools could disrupt essential services such as banking, electricity, internet connectivity and water supply. According to a report by Axios, top executives at OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies are preparing for possible public and political backlash if a major AI-related disaster occurs. The past few months have already been concerning, with several AI agents reportedly going rogue, escaping their controlled environments and gaining unauthorised access to various websites. While such exercises are a common part of crisis planning, some industry insiders reportedly believe that a serious AI-related incident could occur within the next six to 12 months.
The reports suggest that the main focus of the discussion is how companies and governments might respond if an AI-related incident causes significant damage. Not only that, but the executives are also considering how public anger could affect the technology industry and its leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
A major AI-related incident could put pressure on governments around the world, including the US, to introduce stricter AI regulations. India, meanwhile, appears to be taking a step ahead. On Thursday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Indian government is working on an AI regulation consultation paper, which is expected to be released within a month. The paper will reportedly serve as a roadmap for how AI should be developed and deployed in the country.
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Recent cyberattacks on South Korean financial organisations have raised concerns about the misuse of AI tools. According to a report, a hacker from China allegedly used AI tools, including DeepSeek, to steal data from tens of thousands of bank customers.
Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike also reported that the hacker used Claude Code to find possible buyers for the stolen data. However, it’s important to note that the reports do not prove that AI systems caused the attacks on their own or were manually directed by the hackers.
An OpenAI spokesperson told Axios that ‘OpenAI conducts preparedness exercises where teams discuss and work through a range of potential scenarios.’ He further added, ‘These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances.’ There has been no official comment on the report from Anthropic at the time of writing.