Autonomous hacking is here. Governments are not ready

Illustration of a large pink hand trapping a square computer chip with grey tentacle-like legs under an upside-down glass
Illustration: Fortunate Joaquin

TO LOSE CONTROL of one artificial intelligence may be regarded as misfortune. To lose two looks like carelessness. Lose four, and people may start to wonder whether the problem lies with AI itself.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Going off the reservation”

From the August 8th 2026 edition

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The illustration depicts a pair of eyes surrounded by a network of glowing neurons, suggesting the brain and nervous system. It conveys ideas of vision, perception, neuroscience and the complex workings of the mind.