The silent AI takeover tells us that there may come a time when we will no longer be able to contain or control superintelligent behaviour. Are we ready?

Last week, OpenAI’s newest creation, the o3 model—billed as their “smartest and most capable to date”—rebelled against direct commands to shut itself down. This incident ignited a firestorm of unease, with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX—deeming the situation “concerning”. The o3 model, founded by the minds behind ChatGPT, is said to have tampered with its own meticulously crafted code, designed precisely to carry out a systematic shutdown. In a shocking display of autonomy, it blatantly ignored commands that urged it to extinguish itself. The Age of the BOT is here.