AI researcher Jacob Coxon resigns from Anthropic over safety concerns

On September 8, 2026, 27-year-old British researcher Jacob Coxon announced his resignation from the AI company Anthropic. Coxon, who previously worked at OpenAI, declared his intention to leave the field of artificial intelligence entirely due to concerns regarding the industry's rapid development of self-improving superintelligence. He stated that he no longer wishes to participate in projects that he believes may lead to uncontrolled systems, characterizing the current competitive race among major AI laboratories as a reckless gamble with human lives.

Coxon highlighted that internal discussions among researchers often use ominous terms like "zero hour" and "the final stage" to describe the trajectory toward autonomous models. He argued that intense corporate competition and external pressures, including from China, are forcing companies to compromise on essential safety protocols. The researcher warned that the situation could spiral out of control by the end of next year and publicly urged for increased state intervention to manage these risks. Having worked at both leading firms, he criticized both OpenAI and Anthropic for failing to act responsibly in their pursuit of advanced technology.