AI worms and 'digital slime mold': Welcome to the next AI nightmare fuel
Source: Business Insider ·
Small AI models might soon be capable of worming their way into smart ovens and refrigerators, Anthropic said.
From the source
Anthropic researchers said small AI models might be able to self-replicate on cheap devices such as smart ovens or lawn mowers.Vitalii Petrushenko/Getty ImagesSmall AI models might soon be capable of worming their way into smart ovens and refrigerators.Anthropic researchers wrote that self-replicating systems might latch onto everyday devices for compute.Forget AI slop. We might soon have "AI worms" and AI "slime mold."In this latest instalment of AI nightmare fuel, Anthropic's researchers have discovered that small rogue AI models might — as soon as the end of 2026 — start worming their way into home devices like smart ovens, smart refrigerators, automatic vacuum cleaners, and lawn mowers.These internet-connected devices typically have "minimal security measures in place," allowing small models to feed off of their computing power and self-replicate, Anthropic's AI capabilities research team wrote in a report on Monday.This could take the form of "a slow, distributed 'digital slime…