The earthquake caused by the latest version of AI alarms experts: “The world is in danger”
United States of America
Voices are growing louder warning about the consequences for society of the latest artificial intelligence models and about mass layoffs in white-collar jobs.
“We are facing something much, much bigger than Covid,” Matt Schumer warned this week. This renowned programmer, who works with artificial intelligence (AI), has just published an article titled “Something Big Is Happening” in which he warns about the threats that new AI models pose to millions of white-collar jobs worldwide. His essay has gone viral, garnering over 80 million views since Tuesday.
“The reason so many people in the industry are sounding the alarm right now is because this has already happened to us ,” explains Shumer, who recounts how AI companies are laying off computer scientists and developers because the tools they created are now programming themselves to become more intelligent. “We’re not making predictions. We’re telling them what has already happened in our own jobs and warning them that they’re next,” he points out.
Schumer's article coincides with a week of turmoil on Wall Street. Investors have punished companies that stand to be most affected by the rise of this technology. Software companies, video game developers, and computer developers have suffered a significant setback on the stock market as news spreads about the advanced capabilities of new AI models and the risk they pose to millions of jobs. Experts say that a child will be able to give instructions to create a custom video game. And language programs created by people with limited computer skills are proliferating.
But investors also see automation poised to expand into other, less obvious sectors such as logistics, insurance, and consulting. With just a few commands, it will be possible to create a tax planning program or a customer service bot that surpasses human interaction.
“The rapid progress of AI tools is fueling widespread fears of disruption in industries most exposed to the diffusion of this technology within the knowledge economy, particularly in business models that don't require intensive use of capital, with software companies leading the way,” explains Yves Bonzon, head of investments at the Swiss bank Julius Baer. “Investor concerns about the disruptive impact of AI continue to weigh on US stocks, from insurance brokers and real estate services to logistics,” explains the Swiss investment bank UBS, which nevertheless adopts an optimistic tone for investors : “While the overall impact on these industries and individual companies remains to be seen, we consider [este proceso] a validation of AI's monetization potential. The advances underscore its transformative nature.”
“This is unlike any previous wave of automation, and I need you to understand why,” Shumer begins, delivering a disquieting account that has resonated with several industry executives. “AI doesn’t replace a specific skill. It’s a general substitute for cognitive labor. It improves at everything simultaneously. When factories were automated, a laid-off worker could retrain to work as an office clerk. When the internet disrupted retail, workers moved into logistics or services. But AI doesn’t leave a convenient gap to fill. Whatever the skill set is, it’s getting better at that too,” he adds.
Alarm bells are ringing as major tech companies double down on disruptive technologies. In 2026 alone, the four largest global tech giants—Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft— plan to invest over $650 billion in AI . This is the largest amount ever invested in a single year in any other technological development; not even the expansion of the railroads in the late 19th century, NASA's space programs, or the dot-com bubble of the early 21st century consumed so many resources in such a short time.
These tech giants, with budgets larger than some countries, are engaged in a frantic race to develop AI . They need to train their computer models on thousands of computers equipped with the latest generation of microprocessors. They house these computers in gigantic warehouses—data centers—with hundreds of servers so the system can continue learning. And they require special power plants to supply their enormous energy consumption.
Schumer paints a chilling picture. He explains how, in recent years, improvements in cognitive models created by algorithms have achieved exponential progress. But the latest versions from OpenAI, creator of the popular ChatGPT, or Anthopic, which develops the Claude model , “are not incremental improvements. It’s something completely different,” he warns.
“AI is not a replacement for specific human jobs, but rather a general labor substitute for humans,” argues Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, the company founded by former OpenAI researchers. A couple of weeks ago, Amodei published a thought-provoking article, “The Adolescence of Technology: How to Confront and Overcome the Risks of Powerful AI,” about the risks that a technology of this magnitude, or general AI (GAI)—one that can think for itself—will bring. This executive estimates that half of all white-collar jobs in the world will disappear within one to five years. After analyzing the consequences of this revolution in the article, he concludes: “The short-term shock will be of unprecedented magnitude.”
This week, the company reached a valuation of $380 billion after its latest funding round, in which it raised $30 billion. Anthropic has positioned itself as one of the technology companies most concerned with security. It asserts that its model is trained following ethical principles to prevent manipulation and deception.
This week, Public First announced the creation of a SPAC, a stock market listing tool, endowed with $20 million, to promote transparency and security in artificial intelligence models. The company seeks to influence legislators to establish regulations and safeguards for AI that prevent abuses. In reality, its strategy is directed against its rival OpenAI, which uses more aggressive tactics.
Schumer's essay also coincides with the resignation of two executives from OpenAI and Anthropic, warning of the profound changes the world is facing, not only in the workplace. “The world is in danger. And not just because of AI or biological weapons, but because of a whole series of interconnected crises unfolding right now,” wrote Mrinank Sharma, an AI security researcher who left Anthropic to move to the UK to write poetry and “become invisible.”
Sharma has worked in an area focused on ensuring AI safety to combat the risks of AI-assisted bioterrorism and investigating "how AI assistants could make us less human." He says he's leaving with a certain sense of resignation.
On Wednesday, Zoe Hitzig, a researcher at OpenAI, the creator of the popular ChatGPT, published an article in The New York Times expressing her concerns about the new practice of AI companies offering advertising. Hitzig, who holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard, wrote: “I have serious reservations about OpenAI’s strategy.” The following day, she resigned. In the article, she explains how many people use AI tools as therapists, to confide their emotions, or simply to chat. The system gains an advantage by offering advertising, and Hitzig raises ethical concerns.
There are also security risks. Amodei gives the example of a new country comprised of the 50 million brightest minds in the world. They think 10 to 100 times faster than any human. They never sleep. They can use the internet, control robots, conduct experiments, and operate anything with a digital interface. The expert warns that it would pose “the most serious national security threat we have faced in a century, possibly ever.”
Washington - 14 FEB 2026 -