AI executives reportedly prepare for backlash over a possible catastrophic AI event

An October 2026 post citing Axios says executives at OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI companies are reportedly preparing for public and political backlash after a possible catastrophic AI event. It says Axios reports many industry insiders expect a major incident within six to 12 months, most likely a cyberattack disrupting banking, internet access, power or water. OpenAI confirmed it runs preparedness exercises but said it does not treat those scenarios as inevitable; Anthropic declined to comment.