AI companies are preparing not only for the technical fallout of a major failure, but also for what could happen afterward. Axios reports that executives at Anthropic, OpenAI and other companies are privately planning for a public and political backlash following what the outlet describes as a catastrophic AI event.
The scenario those officials consider most likely is a cyberattack severe enough to interrupt financial services, internet access, power or water, according to Axios. The report says a first major case of real-world harm caused by unsafe AI could deepen public distrust and put the technology’s leading companies, their executives and government officials under intense scrutiny.
OpenAI confirmed that it runs preparedness exercises, but rejected the idea that its teams regard disaster as unavoidable. A company spokesperson told Axios that the exercises cover “a range of potential scenarios” and are intended to help the company prepare, not to treat any outcome as inevitable. Anthropic declined to comment for the report.
Planning for the political aftermath
Axios says the preparations include red-teaming worst-case situations and educating members of Congress before a crisis. Executives reportedly expect that a serious incident would create immediate pressure for new rules, so they want lawmakers to understand the technology and the policy choices before that debate begins.
The concern is not limited to an accident inside a company. Axios describes planning for both a rogue AI system escaping a controlled environment and a person finding a new way to misuse models that are already available. In either case, assigning responsibility could quickly become part of the crisis.
Some of the people involved believe the window is short. Many AI industry insiders told Axios that they expect a major incident within the next six to 12 months. That is their assessment, not a confirmed forecast, and OpenAI’s response makes clear that at least one company does not treat such scenarios as certain.
Why a response could be difficult
The same planning also considers why governments might struggle to act after an incident. The AI infrastructure boom is now tied to large parts of the economy, Axios reports, so a sudden slowdown could create broader financial consequences. Axios also notes that open-weight models can be freely downloaded, which the report presents as a major obstacle to limiting harmful use.
Possible policy responses discussed in the report range from pausing advanced AI development to requiring kill switches for powerful systems. Each comes with practical limits. A pause would have to contend with the technology’s economic footprint, and Axios notes that experts have questioned whether all AI systems could realistically be turned off. The report separately identifies widely distributed open-weight models as another enforcement challenge.
That leaves the industry preparing for two uncertainties at once: the possibility of a damaging event and the political reaction that could follow. Axios describes broad private planning, while OpenAI has publicly confirmed that it runs preparedness exercises. The unresolved question is how likely a catastrophic event really is.
