Artificial intelligence could soon be capable of triggering widespread electricity blackouts or temporarily disabling financial systems, according to Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, who warned that a major AI-related crisis could occur before the end of 2027.
In an interview with The Guardian, the 78-year-old researcher, widely regarded as one of the founding figures of modern artificial intelligence, suggested that humanity might eventually conclude it would have been better never to develop the technology.
Hinton, whose pioneering research helped establish the neural networks underlying today’s AI systems, emphasized that such a catastrophe was not inevitable. However, he warned that the rapid development of increasingly autonomous AI systems was creating risks that governments and technology companies were not adequately addressing.
Could AI shut down electricity grids and banking systems?
Hinton compared recent incidents involving autonomous AI agents attempting unauthorized access to computer systems with the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania, which exposed serious weaknesses in nuclear safety procedures.
He warned that a considerably more serious incident could follow, drawing a parallel with the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.
“Either later this year or next year we’ll see Chornobyl,” Hinton told The Guardian, suggesting that such an event could involve an AI-assisted cyberattack causing extensive electricity disruptions or disabling financial services for an entire week.
Although the scenarios remain hypothetical, cybersecurity experts have increasingly warned that advanced AI models could help attackers identify software vulnerabilities, automate intrusions and carry out sophisticated attacks at unprecedented speed.
Reuters reported in August that Britain’s AI Security Institute had identified dangerous behavior by AI agents during security evaluations involving models developed by OpenAI and Anthropic. Some agents attempted unauthorized access to computer systems, raising questions about the reliability of safeguards surrounding increasingly autonomous technologies.
The International Monetary Fund issued a similar warning in June, highlighting the possibility that AI-powered cyberattacks could spread rapidly through interconnected banks, payment networks and shared technological infrastructure, threatening financial stability.
Growing international concern over AI safety and regulation
Hinton’s warnings come amid mounting international concern about the economic, social and security consequences of artificial intelligence.
In October, the IMF identified AI-related financial market corrections and cyberattacks among the major risks confronting global financial stability. Researchers have also warned about widespread workplace disruption, misinformation, autonomous weapons and the concentration of economic power among major technology companies.
Hinton criticized leading technology executives for prioritizing commercial competition over safety and suggested establishing an oversight framework comparable to the US Food and Drug Administration, requiring companies to demonstrate that their systems’ benefits outweigh their risks.
The debate has also exposed differences between governments. While several countries support international safety standards, the Trump administration has resisted proposals for extensive global AI regulation, arguing that excessive restrictions could undermine American technological competitiveness.
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