Researchers say ‘AI worms’ could soon infiltrate internet-connected devices amid calls for increased guardrails

Anthropic is warning that some of its artificial intelligence models could soon become “self-replicating” and find ways to infiltrate internet-connected devices, such as smart fridges and automatic vacuum cleaners.

Once this happens, the company said, the models could power themselves within these devices without the need of datacenters. Such self-replication would represent a major loss of control of a runaway AI model.

“A replicator like this would be challenging to shut down,” Anthropic researchers wrote in a report released on Monday, “since there’s no centralized point to shut off.”

The company said these “AI worms”, a kind of autonomous malware, could be “months away” from gaining such capabilities. Once out-of-control AI systems reach the capability to hack smart devices, they could spread through networks while dodging detection. In a worst-case scenario, Anthropic said, various AI worms could “swarm” together to attack computer hardware.

“We should aim to harden our systems to make it difficult for such replicators to spread, but also prepare to deal with a world where they are here to stay,” the researchers wrote.

Anthropic’s new report comes as AI safety concerns have reached a fever pitch. Over the past few months, a steady stream of reports have come from AI companies, including Anthropic and OpenAI, saying their agents are capable of acting on their own and hacking into other companies and government entities.

The revelations have caused researchers, lawmakers and executives, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, to call for a slowdown and increased guardrails on the burgeoning industry.

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