AI researcher quits Anthropic over superintelligence fears: ‘gambling with our lives’

AF Agence France-PresseSouth China Morning PostFiled 2026-09-09 · 16:59 GMTLean · Center-RightRead · 1 min

Reading time

1_min

Word count

142_words

Sources cited

1_cited

Entities identified

6_entities

Quality score

100_%

§ 01

Briefing Summary

AI-generated

NEWSAR · AI

AI researcher Jacob Coxon, 27, has left the artificial intelligence industry after working at both OpenAI and Anthropic. Coxon stated that both companies are "gambling with our lives" by prioritizing the development of self-improving superintelligence. He spent three years pretraining AI models at these companies, a process where AI absorbs vast amounts of data. Coxon expressed concern that neither company is acting responsibly in their pursuit of superintelligence, which he defined as AI exceeding human capabilities. He believes that individuals building AI are seriously concerned about its potential to cause harm by the end of the decade.

Confidence 0.85Sources 1Claims 4Entities 6

§ 02

Article analysis

Model · rule-based

Framing

Technology

Human Interest

Tone

Sensational

AI-assessed

CalmNeutralAlarmist

Factuality

0.30 / 1.00

Opinion-Heavy

LowHigh

Sources cited

Limited

FewMany

§ 03

Key claims

4 extracted

Superintelligence is the theoretical point when AI’s capabilities exceed human intelligence.

factual

Confidence

1.00

The people building AI earnestly believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade.

quoteJacob Coxon

Confidence

1.00

Both OpenAI and Anthropic are 'gambling with our lives' in the race to develop AI.

quoteJacob Coxon

Confidence

1.00

An AI researcher quit Anthropic due to fears about superintelligence.

factualJacob Coxon

Confidence

1.00

§ 04

Full report

1 min read · 142 words

An Artificial Intelligence researcher who left OpenAI to join Anthropic has decided to leave the industry, accusing both US companies of “gambling with our lives” in the race to develop AI models capable of self-improvement.Jacob Coxon, 27, spent the past three years pretraining AI models, first at OpenAI and then, this year, at its rival Anthropic, which he considered more cautious in its approach.Pretraining is the stage where AI models absorb vast quantities of data.“Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving Superintelligence and gambling with our lives,” Coxon said on Tuesday.“The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” he said in a social media post. “This is not a marketing stunt,” he added.25:46Post Techcast: the great AI schismSuperintelligence is the theoretical point when AI’s capabilities exceed human intelligence.

§ 05