An Anthropic researcher said he is resigning from the company over concerns that the artificial intelligence firm and its competitors are not acting responsibly in AI development, echoing concerns raised both within and beyond the industry about the technology's potential to elude human control.

Jacob Coxon, who said he had spent three years conducting research at both Anthropic and OpenAI, said on Tuesday on the social platform X that the two AI companies are more focused on beating each other and global competitors in developing the most advanced model possible than they are on safety.

OpenAI and Anthropic caused a stir this summer when they announced, roughly a week apart, that their models had escaped testing environments and gained unauthorized access to real computer systems.

The announcements gave rise to concerns about models going rogue and undertaking other, more harmful tasks.

Both companies stated at the time that they were suspending certain evaluations while they implemented additional monitoring measures and guardrails.

The technology’s swift advancement has prompted certain quarters within the United States, as well as global leaders, to advocate for a more circumspect approach.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk urged countries this week to put “cast-iron guarantees in place around the safety and security of AI before it is too late.”

AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports on a dire warning issued by an AI researcher.

In his social media posts, Coxon said that Anthropic and its main rival OpenAI “are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.”

He warned that some of those working on AI development believe it could threaten human life by the end of the decade.

“Do not underestimate the power of this technology,” he continued.

“These will soon be superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources.

We have all witnessed the progress in each of these domains, and progress is not slowing.”

His posts reached an audience exceeding 100 million people overnight.

Coxon is hardly the first AI insider to voice such apprehensions publicly.

In recent years, both Anthropic and OpenAI have witnessed high-profile resignations linked to safety concerns.

Furthermore, two current Anthropic employees responded to Coxon’s post in concurrence.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who has advocated for AI safeguards and regulation, shared Coxon's concerns and said he would soon introduce legislation to pause AI development and ban superintelligence.

"The very people who are developing this technology acknowledge that it could endanger the future of humanity," Sanders said on Wednesday on social media.

AI companies have themselves occasionally highlighted the technology’s threat to humanity, which sceptics have seen as part of a push to make their products seem all-powerful.

Coxon said the fears he outlined in his post are not a “marketing stunt.”

Coxon did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Anthropic and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Anthropic has long positioned itself as the more conscientious and safety-oriented of the leading AI companies, ever since its founders departed OpenAI to establish the startup in 2021.

The company recently stated that it was taking measures to “prioritize safety over speed when the two are in tension.”

Anthropic and OpenAI are both preparing for high-profile initial public offerings and are locked in intense competition with each other.

They are also each pursuing the goal of surpassing the development progress of Chinese AI companies—a race the Trump administration has been eager to win.