Hundreds of supermarkets in France were hit by a cyberattack this week that sent refrigerator temperatures soaring to 122°F, destroying food and reportedly sparking fires. Now, an AI researcher is warning that this could be a preview of something much worse.

Andreas Stuhlmüller, cofounder and CEO of the AI research company Elicit, says it's plausible that within the next year, AI-powered cyberrattacks could target the power grid, financial systems, internet infrastructure or water supplies.

He's not just sounding the alarm. He's recommending that people prepare to get through two weeks of major disruptions, including keeping cash on hand, storing drinking water and investing in backup power and internet access.

That's a startling recommendation, especially considering that some of the equipment he suggests could cost thousands of dollars. But after watching hackers remotely disable refrigeration systems across hundreds of stores, his warning raises a question worth examining: How vulnerable are the essential services we depend on every day?

The cyberattack that struck French supermarkets overnight on October 11 and 12 affected hundreds of locations belonging to major chains, including Carrefour, Intermarché, Monoprix and Coopérative U.

Hackers reportedly exploited vulnerabilities in internet-connected refrigeration controllers, remotely manipulating defrost cycles and causing temperatures inside some units to climb as high as 122°F.

The results were immediate. Refrigerated and frozen food spoiled, equipment was damaged and some stores reported fires. French authorities launched an investigation into the attacks, which demonstrated how a security weakness in seemingly ordinary commercial equipment could cause widespread physical damage.

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