Former Google DeepMind researcher Bilal Chughtai has warned that rapidly advancing artificial intelligence could ultimately threaten humanity’s survival, saying society may be running out of time to prevent such an outcome.
Chughtai, who recently left Google DeepMind after working on artificial general intelligence safety and alignment, is the latest AI researcher to publicly raise concerns about the potential consequences of increasingly powerful AI systems.
His warning comes after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned from the company, citing concerns that some AI developers genuinely believe the technology could “kill us all by the end of the decade.”
Anthropic scientist Evan Hubinger later backed Coxon’s concerns, saying he estimated there was more than a 10 percent chance that AI could wipe out humanity within the next decade.
Chughtai announced his departure from Google DeepMind on X, explaining that his work had focused on making advanced AI systems safer and better aligned with human interests.
“I strongly believe AI could ultimately threaten humanity’s survival, and we may be running out of time to prevent such an outcome,” he wrote.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Chughtai co-authored several research papers during his time at Google DeepMind, where he worked as a research engineer before leaving in July 2026.
Google had yet to respond to a request for comment made outside its normal business hours.
The warning comes as concerns over the rapid development of advanced AI systems intensify, with researchers, technology executives and policymakers debating whether the industry should slow the pace of development.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for a slowdown in advanced AI development, receiving support from Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The calls have further fuelled debate over AI “doomerism” and the possibility of catastrophic consequences from increasingly capable systems.
Chughtai said safe AI development remained possible but argued that greater cooperation was necessary to prevent companies from entering an uncontrolled race to develop increasingly powerful systems.
He said AI development should proceed at a pace that gives society enough time to identify and address emerging risks before they result in serious harm.
“We need to regulate the pace of AI development to a level society can manage, ensuring emerging risks are addressed before they result in serious harm,” he added.
The debate over AI safety comes amid disagreements about how much regulation the industry should face. US President Donald Trump has rejected calls for tighter AI regulation, dismissing warnings and regulatory demands as a “hoax” in a social media post.
Goodness Anunobi
Follow us on:
