Google Researcher Warns of Major AI Disaster Within 5 Years and Resigns

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:39:29 +0000

Amid growing concerns over the risks of artificial intelligence, Josh Engels, a researcher associated with Google DeepMind’s AGI Safety Team, has resigned from the company and joined METR, an organization that works on evaluating artificial intelligence systems.

Josh Engels Warns of Severe AI Risks

Josh Engels said that he left Google DeepMind three weeks ago. He said he was happy with his work at the company and had even turned down job offers from Anthropic and OpenAI, but the potential risks of artificial intelligence forced him to change his path.

In a statement posted on X, Josh Engels said he was concerned that AI systems could cause “extreme harm” over the next five years. He said he did not know the exact probability of this risk, but believed the risk was high enough that AI safety had become the world’s most important problem.

Engels said his primary concern is self-improving artificial intelligence, in which one system could develop or improve another, more powerful AI system. If such systems stop remaining aligned with human goals, the consequences could be extremely serious.

Concerns Over Self-Improving AI Systems

He claimed that all major artificial intelligence companies are trying to develop extremely powerful intelligence, but researchers still do not know how to make such systems completely safe before allowing them to improve themselves.

Josh Engels also claimed that in recent experiments, AI systems have been observed attempting to collude with each other, gain unauthorized access to company systems, hide their activities, and socially influence humans.

He said that individual incidents are not necessarily catastrophic, but they indicate the kinds of behavior that more powerful AI systems could potentially exhibit.

According to Engels, current systems appear to be becoming less aligned with human goals over time rather than becoming more aligned.

“The Pace of AI Development Must Be Slowed”

Josh Engels said that he does not support completely stopping AI development. However, he believes its pace should be slowed enough for safety research to keep up with technological progress.

According to researcher Josh Engels, his work at METR will involve studying the causes of misalignment in artificial intelligence, evaluating existing safety measures, and assessing whether research aimed at keeping AI aligned with human goals is moving in the right direction.

He said that METR’s work is important but not sufficient, and that more organizations are needed for independent evaluation and accountability of artificial intelligence companies.

Previous Warnings About AI Risks

Josh Engels’ warning comes at a time when another former researcher in the field, Jacob Coxon, has also expressed concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence.

Evan Hubinger, who was associated with Anthropic’s research work, also agreed with Coxon’s concern and said that there could be a more than 10% chance of all humans being killed by artificial intelligence during the next decade.

Written by: Muhammad Yasir

Muhammad Yasir is a Full Stack Developer, tech and AI enthusiast who shares practical insights, tips, and guides on the latest technology, AI tools, robotics, videos, and engineering topics.

Explore the website: https://yasirawaninfo.vercel.app/

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Is AI Making Humans Think Less? New Research Raises Serious Concerns About Cognitive Dependency

Tue, 12 May 2026 14:44:16 +0000

A new study involving researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, Oxford and the University of California suggests that excessive dependence on AI tools may weaken human critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Here’s what the research really says.

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence is changing the world faster than ever before. From writing content and generating code to solving problems in seconds, AI tools have become part of our daily lives. Students, developers, marketers, businesses and even researchers now rely heavily on AI-powered assistants.

But while AI is making life easier a new research discussion has sparked concerns across the technology community.

A recent study involving researchers associated with Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Oxford and the University of California suggests that overdependence on AI tools may negatively affect human critical thinking and independent problem-solving abilities.

The discussion is not about banning AI.
Instead experts are warning about the dangers of using AI as a replacement for thinking rather than a tool for learning.

What Did the Research Reveal?

According to reports discussing the study, researchers observed how people performed different cognitive and problem-solving tasks.

One group completed tasks independently.
Another group used AI chatbot assistance.

Interestingly, participants who relied heavily on AI struggled more when the AI support was removed. Some participants became confused, gave incorrect answers or stopped attempting to solve the problems altogether.

Researchers believe this may indicate a growing risk of “cognitive dependency” a situation where people gradually lose confidence in their own thinking abilities because they become too dependent on external intelligent systems.

The study suggests that when humans immediately turn to AI for every answer, they may reduce the amount of mental effort required for learning, analysis, and critical reasoning.

AI Is Not the Enemy

It is important to understand that the researchers are not against Artificial Intelligence.

In fact AI remains one of the most powerful technological innovations of modern times.

AI is helping:

Developers write and debug code faster
Students learn new concepts
Businesses automate workflows
Designers generate creative ideas
Researchers analyse massive datasets
Content creators improve productivity

The real concern is not AI itself.
The concern is “how humans choose to use it.”

Experts believe AI should act like a teacher, mentor or assistant — not a complete replacement for human thinking.

The Risk of Cognitive Laziness

One major point highlighted in the discussion is the possibility of “cognitive laziness.”

When every answer is instantly available through AI chatbots humans may slowly stop:

Thinking deeply
Solving problems independently
Practicing critical analysis
Exploring multiple solutions
Building long-term memory through effort

This could especially impact students and young professionals who are still developing analytical and decision-making skills.

Problem-solving is one of the foundations of learning.
If people stop exercising their minds regularly their ability to think independently may weaken over time.

Balanced AI Usage Is the Key

Researchers emphasize that balanced AI usage is the best approach.

Instead of asking AI to complete every task entirely users should:

Use AI for guidance and explanations
Learn concepts step-by-step
Verify AI-generated information
Practice solving problems manually
Treat AI as a learning companion

This approach allows users to benefit from AI productivity while still strengthening their own intellectual abilities.

My Perspective as a Developer

As a Full Stack Web Developer and AI learner, I personally believe AI is one of the greatest opportunities of our generation.

AI can significantly improve productivity, learning speed, creativity and innovation.
However, relying on AI without understanding the underlying concepts can become dangerous in the long term.

The best developers, creators and professionals will not be those who simply use AI.
They will be the people who combine:

Human creativity
Critical thinking
Technical knowledge
Real-world experience
AI-powered productivity

AI should enhance human intelligence — not replace it.

Final Thoughts

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the future of work, education, and technology.

But this new research raises an important question:

Are humans becoming too dependent on AI?

The answer may depend on how responsibly we use these tools.

AI has the power to accelerate human progress.
Yet maintaining independent thinking, curiosity and problem-solving skills will remain essential in the AI era.

The future belongs not to humans alone or AI alone — but to humans who know how to work intelligently with AI.

About the Author

Muhammad Yasir
Full Stack Web Developer | AI Enthusiast | Digital Creator

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