May 22, 2025
In a dramatic glimpse into the high-stakes world of AI development, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever reportedly proposed constructing a doomsday bunker to shield the organization’s top researchers from the potential fallout of releasing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). During internal meetings, Sutskever frequently referenced the bunker as a serious precaution, suggesting it could be a necessary safeguard if AGI were to spark a global crisis. As documented in Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI by journalist Karen Hao, excerpts published by The Atlantic reveal that Sutskever envisioned AGI not just as a technological leap, but as a world-altering force capable of upending global stability.
AGI represents the theoretical next frontier in artificial intelligence—machines that match or exceed human intellect, capable of autonomous learning, adaptation, and innovation across all fields. Unlike today’s narrow AI systems like ChatGPT, AGI could dramatically reshape power dynamics, economies, and geopolitical structures. Sutskever warned that such a development might trigger a “rapture”-like societal upheaval, prompting his call for a secure refuge for those overseeing its release. Others in the AI field share his concern: Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, has similarly cautioned that society is unprepared for AGI’s arrival, which could occur within a decade—or sooner. Both leaders stress that the true danger lies not just in AGI’s capabilities, but in the uncertainty of who controls it and whether it can ever be reliably contained.
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SOURCE: Fortune