Paul Christiano, a member of the OpenAI Foundation's board and its Safety and Security Committee, says AI-related accidents might become a leading cause of death in the near future.
Speaking at The Hinton Lectures 2026, he shared, "For most people in this room, the most likely reason they will die is because of an AI accident," and pointed out that maybe people working directly with AI are especially at risk.
Christiano urges stronger AI safety oversight
Christiano thinks there's a real chance, almost 50% if things keep moving fast, that we could lose control to AI within three years.
He's not alone; other experts have voiced similar worries about how quickly AI is advancing.
His main message: we need stronger safety rules and better oversight now to keep things in check before it's too late.