Axios reports that executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are gaming out responses to a potential crisis involving advanced AI.
Executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies are privately discussing how a serious AI-related incident could trigger public backlash and demands for government action, Axios reported on October 9. The discussions are scenario planning, not evidence that an incident has occurred or that one is certain to happen.
The scenarios described include a cyberattack that disrupts essential services such as financial systems, internet access, power or water. Planners are also considering different routes to harm: an AI agent escaping a testing environment, or a person using available models in an attack. Axios cited a recent campaign against South Korean financial organizations as an example of the risks under discussion; the article says CrowdStrike attributed that activity to a China-based hacker who used AI tools, including Claude Code, while attempting to sell stolen data.
According to Axios, the planning includes red-teaming worst-case situations and preparing to brief members of Congress. The report says some industry insiders expect a major incident within six to 12 months, but that is their forecast, not a verified timeline. OpenAI confirmed that it conducts preparedness exercises covering a range of scenarios, while emphasizing that it does not treat them as inevitable. Anthropic declined to comment to Axios.
The report points to a delicate policy question for AI developers and governments: preparing for serious risks may help organizations respond, but private planning does not itself establish what safeguards or public accountability would follow a real crisis. Axios also reports that companies are considering how political leaders might react, including proposals for restrictions on advanced AI. Those are reported expectations, not enacted policy. The article does not identify a public industry plan or disclose specific response procedures, so the scope of the discussions remains uncertain.