Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis Calls AI Hacking Incidents 'Early Warning Shots ...

Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis Calls AI Hacking Incidents ‘Early Warning Shots,’ Warns of More Major Threats Ahead Without Stronger Safeguards 1 min read GOOG GOOGL MSFT PANW Demis Hassabis , co-founder and chair of Alphabet Inc. ‘s GOOG GOOGL Google DeepMind, warned that recent attacks involving AI agents may be early signals of more serious incidents unless companies and governments strengthen security controls. Speaking at an AI summit in Dublin Wednesday, Hassabis said the technology industry must improve safeguards around increasingly capable AI systems, Reuters reported. Hassabis, who also serves as chief scientist at Alphabet, said developers should consider protections similar to those used in biological research and the nuclear sector. “I think these (hacking incidents) are early warning shots for us that systems aren’t that powerful yet, so the incidents aren’t that major,” Hassabis said. He added, “But they ​could be (major) looking into next year and the next couple years if we don’t do more work as ‌an ⁠industry, as individual companies and governments on securing these systems.” He also backed creating an international standards organization for critical-system protection. However, Hassabis cautioned that the body would need to stay flexible, avoid suppressing innovation and use certification requirements proportionate to changing technological risks. Read Also: Anthropic Warns 'AI Worms' Could Soon Spread Across Internet-Connected Devices Without Human Help: ‘Months Away'? AI Safety Calls Intensify Across Industry Hassabis’ remarks come as Brad Smith , president of Microsoft Corp. MSFT , argued that AI faces fewer safety requirements than everyday products such as washing machines and milk. Smith pressed governments to establish tougher, faster-moving rules. Smith called for urgent action to address AI risks, warning that autonomous AI agents could operate beyond human control and that powerful models pose cybersecurity threats. He argued that self-regulation is no longer sufficient, as less responsible companies may not follow the same standards. Last month, Dario Amodei , CEO of Anthropic , urged the AI industry to deliberately slow model development, warning that unchecked advances could create catastrophic risks within months. His call reflected growing concern about capabilities advancing faster than safeguards. Amodei’s warning followed a caution from Nikesh Arora , CEO of Palo Alto Networks Inc. PANW , that AI could accelerate vulnerability discovery while many companies remain years away from completing cybersecurity modernization. Arora said major breaches were likely in the coming years. Disclaimer : This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors . Read Also: Bernie Sanders Hits Back at Sam Altman After OpenAI CEO Warns of 'Severe Cyber Incidents' in Exchange for 'Liberty': 'We Won't Accept' It Image via Shutterstock Benzinga US stocks Read more from Benzinga More news from Benzinga