The publication hosted a live subscriber event and then asked two reporters to address the audience’s remaining AI safety questions.

MIT Technology Review hosted a live Roundtables event for subscribers that asked whether AI could kill us all. The 30-minute session left many audience questions unanswered. The publication asked senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven and AI reporter Grace Huckins to round up and answer some of the best submitted questions.

AI reporter Grace Huckins wrote that AI-powered drones have already killed people in Ukraine and that AI-driven cyberattacks on hospitals will claim victims. Senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven argued that AI will not kill everyone, because no real-world circumstances outside apocalyptic science fiction support that outcome.

Builders and operators should track concrete AI risks, such as drone warfare and cyberattacks on hospitals. Focusing only on apocalyptic scenarios can lead teams to excuse or overlook problems with existing technology and the companies that build it.

Researchers remain concerned about AI biological capabilities, because an attacker only needs one effective pathogen while defenders must cover all plausible biological weapons. Watch for more discussion of defenses against AI-designed pathogens and AI-driven cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.

What matters

• MIT Technology Review answered subscriber questions after its live event on whether AI could kill everyone.
• Builders should track concrete AI harms like cyberattacks and bioweapons while avoiding hype.
• Watch for AI-driven cyberattacks on hospitals and infrastructure as researchers debate biological risks.

Why it matters

Watch for AI-driven cyberattacks on hospitals and infrastructure as researchers debate biological risks.

This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by MIT Technology Review AI. Source reference: https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/18/1144435/could-ai-really-kill-us-all-your-questions-answered/.

Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.