AI Companies Prepare For Public Backlash After Potential Catastrophic Incident: Report

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, raising questions about how tech companies would respond if the technology caused widespread harm.

According to an Axios report, executives at OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies are privately discussing possible scenarios and preparing for the public and political response to a major AI-related incident.

The planning focuses on what could happen after a catastrophic event, particularly a cyberattack that disrupts essential services such as financial systems, internet connectivity, electricity, or water supplies. According to Axios, several AI industry insiders believe a major incident could occur within the next six to 12 months.

AI Companies Prepare For Possible Crisis

The report said executives are privately discussing how the public and political leaders might respond if AI systems cause significant real-world harm. Such an incident could intensify existing concerns about the technology and put industry leaders, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

US President Donald Trump could also face criticism over his approach to AI regulation, Axios reported. While scenario planning is common in business and national security, the report noted that some AI researchers and executives consider a major incident a serious possibility.

An OpenAI spokesperson told Axios that the company conducts preparedness exercises in which teams work through different potential scenarios. "These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances," the spokesperson added.

Cyberattacks Raise Concerns About AI Misuse

The scenarios include an AI agent swarm escaping an internal testing environment or a bad actor finding new ways to misuse available AI models.

The report cited a recent campaign targeting financial organisations in South Korea, including reported breaches at two banks. According to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, a hacker from China allegedly used AI tools, including models developed in China, to steal data belonging to tens of thousands of bank customers.

The attacker also reportedly used Claude Code to seek help identifying places to sell the stolen data, Axios reported.

Why Future AI Regulation Could Be Difficult

According to Axios, AI companies do not expect new regulations to pass under current conditions but want to influence the legislation and policies US leaders may consider after a catastrophic AI incident.

The companies expect political divisions to persist even if Democrats control both the House and the Senate, including within the party itself. Within the party, proposals for tighter AI controls range from banning superintelligence to pausing the development of advanced AI.

Some other proposals, including a requirement for advanced AI systems to have a kill switch, have support from both parties and some within the industry. However, experts have questioned whether shutting down all AI systems would be practical.