Anthropic has warned that small artificial intelligence models could be just months away from developing the ability to copy themselves across internet-connected household devices, potentially creating autonomous networks that would be difficult to shut down.
In its latest research report, Anthropic said models with 30 billion parameters or fewer can already complete many of the steps required for self-replication, although most cannot reliably carry out the entire process. The company estimated that smaller models could develop the necessary capabilities by the end of 2026 if recent improvements continue at their historical pace.
