--- title: "OpenAI Wargaming Response in Case of Public Revolt After Catastrophic AI Disaster" description: "Top AI labs are conducting Pentagon-style war games, evidently preparing for a massive political revolt against their products." date: "2026-10-09" modified: "2026-10-09" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins.md" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/openai-wargaming-public-revolt-ai-catastrophe" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # OpenAI Wargaming Response in Case of Public Revolt After Catastrophic AI Disaster ![Holographic fists being raised.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* In the United States, public sentiment against the rising power of AI labs and their CEOs is overwhelmingly negative. As *Wall Street Journal* polling from late September found, [63 percent]() of US adults support an immediate pause on AI development, while a *Politico* survey found about [two-thirds of Americans]() have at least "moderate" anxieties over AI destroying humanity. When the scope of that public backlash first came into focus, tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg responded with some tone-deaf [media stunts](), hoping to win back hearts and minds by the millions. Now that this strategy has clearly failed, executives at top AI labs are starting to workshop standard operating procedures in the event of a massive revolt against them. This includes leaders at Anthropic and OpenAI, according [to *Axios*](), which broke the story. These amount to Pentagon-style "war games," essentially, with AI labs hammering out responses to hypothetical scenarios like massive cyberattacks enabled by their products, or a political revolt in reaction to some sort of catastrophic event triggered by their models. Approached by *Axios* for comment, OpenAI was nonchalant about the whole affair, replying that "OpenAI conducts preparedness exercises where teams discuss and work through a range of potential scenarios." "These scenarios are not treated as inevitable, but are meant to help us prepare for a variety of circumstances," the spokesperson continued. Anthropic declined to comment, though anxiety about social unrest isn't out of character for the company's executives. In September, it was reported that Anthropic was building out a [surveillance apparatus]() to keep tabs on anti-AI protest movements, which included taking a "pre-crime" approach to intelligence gathering. How serious a threat any of this actually is remains hard to say. Nonetheless, the fact that top tech execs are even considering the possibility is notable — a sign that if nothing else, the [anti-AI backlash]() has them squirming in their board room chairs. **More on civil unrest:** *[Protesters Crash Pro-Data Center Party, Escorted Out by Security]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()