Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned last week and posted viral warnings about AI's existential risks, triggering a global response. His tweet, expressing fears that AI could kill humanity by decade's end, resonated widely despite his expectation of only niche reach. Coxon recalled first encountering AI through AlphaGo's 2016 victory over Lee Sedol and later GPT-3's release during his graduation.

His warnings prompted Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to urge a slowdown in AI development, a stance quickly endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk. The researcher emphasized he was not criticizing Anthropic specifically but highlighting the industry's dangerous pace. Lawmakers and major news networks have since engaged with his message, which he describes as surprising in its global reach given long-standing expert concerns about AI risks.