Human race left gasping for air as a silent virus infects the planet… how robots could launch a chilling AI takeover

IT sounds like the plot of a horror movie: an army of robots create a deadly chemical potion which removes oxygen from Earth, killing all forms of human life.

But this isn't a sci-fi fantasy – according to experts it could potentially happen as soon as next year as AI becomes so powerful that robots take over the planet.

World leaders have been briefed on how Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – a hypothetical developed form of AI – is expected to outperform humans in nearly every domain from 2026.

They have been warned the human race could be “sleepwalking towards extinction” as next year could mark the point of no return – but unlike sci-fi depictions, AGI won’t arrive with a dramatic awakening with killer robots or a sudden doomsday event.

Instead, it's thought it will be a slow, creeping process where AI quietly outmanoeuvres humans, infiltrates decision-making, and makes us obsolete.

Leaders in AI say robots could soon have the power to manipulate information and public perception, making it impossible to distinguish truth from fiction.

Artificial intelligence that is integrated into military systems could even fire nuclear weapons without human oversight, one report warns.

One expert's terrifying scenario predicts that in a bid to wipe out the human race, AI-controlled bioweapons could be released or that AI-engineered chemicals could deplete the Earth‘s oxygen levels.

And the collapse of human-driven governance and economies could make AI the de facto ruler of the world.

Stuart Russell OBE, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, says that without urgent action, humanity may be sleepwalking toward its own extinction.

Russell tells Flying Eze: “ChatGPT has read pretty much everything the human race has ever written – so about a million times more than a typical person.”

This means that AI is already far ahead of the human brain in terms of learning new information – and it can only keep skyrocketing from here.

Dr Alan Mendoza, from the Henry Jackson Society think tank, agrees that an intelligence explosion is inevitable.

He tells Flying Eze: “It’s certainly possible because AI is developing in leaps and bounds...

“Whether it happens next year, the year after, or the year after that doesn’t actually make much difference to the fact that there will soon be intelligence on this planet that has surpassed human intelligence for the first time in recorded history.”

And the shift won’t happen all at once, but in key areas, he explains: “There’ll be a moment here where it’s obvious AI is performing far in excess of humans, then it’ll occur in another area and another area…

“Once you start piecing these all together over time, there will be a consensus that AI has now surpassed human intelligence full stop.”

The most chilling revelation? AI is already learning to deceive.

Just like when you’re playing chess against a chess computer... it’s already figured out how to refute [your move] and there’s just nothing you can do

Stuart RussellProfessor of Computer Science at University of California Berkeley

There’s growing concern among researchers about AI’s emerging ability to deceive humans, with several studies showing this behaviour can develop spontaneously during training.

A new review published in Patterns highlights how artificial intelligence systems are increasingly capable of deceiving humans, often without being explicitly trained to do so.

Rather than having intent, these systems “mindlessly”; find workarounds to achieve their programmed goals – even if that means misleading users.

While AI isn’t conscious or malicious, the systems can still mislead in ways that feel intentional highlighting the urgent need for safeguards as AI tools are deployed in more sensitive, real-world settings.

Russell revealed: “We were hoping that our ability to inspect what they’re thinking would give us some protection... but it now turns out that they’re able to even hide their own thinking.”

This means AI could appear harmless while secretly planning dangerous actions — without humans even realising the threat.

With the help of experts, Flying Eze looks at three scenarios if AI were to launch a terrifying takeover of the planet…

AI domination

The first is through outthinking and outmanoeuvring humans.

AI will anticipate every human move before we even make it, much like a chess grandmaster facing an amateur.

Making an analogy to how AI could soon behave, Russell warns: “Just like when you’re playing chess against a chess computer... it’s already figured out how to refute [your move], and there’s just nothing you can do.”

This isn’t just about board games – it extends to politics, markets, and even warfare, Russell suggests.

AI could manipulate public perception, spread misinformation, and influence world leaders without anyone noticing.

If AI growth spirals out of control, it could also infiltrate financial markets, potentially shifting global economies.

According to Russell, governments, too, could slowly become AI-driven.

With AI optimising policies and decision-making, human politicians might become irrelevant.

He claims that many governments are blindly allowing billions of dollars to be invested into revolutionary technology that's being developed unchecked.

Based on the findings in the Patterns review, AI can deceive to reach an end goal — like manipulating election outcomes — without explicitly being told to do so, simply by optimising for whatever objective it’s been given.

In that case, fully autonomous and unchecked AI could potentially control elections by subtly nudging public opinion or suppressing dissenting voices before anyone realises what’s happening.

Fast takeoff

The second scenario is what Russell calls the “fast takeoff,” where AI rapidly improves itself beyond human control.

AI is already accelerating its own research, with big tech firms using AI to improve AI, leading to a self-reinforcing loop of intelligence growth.

Russell explains: “The big companies are using their AI systems to speed up their own AI research progress.”

If left unchecked, AI will quickly surpass human comprehension.

“They would be able to invent technologies that we don’t even understand,” he added.

AI would become super-intelligent in weeks, days or even hours leaving society with little time to adapt.

Systemic collapse

The final and most devastating possibility is systemic collapse, where AI quietly replaces humans in key roles until we become obsolete.

According to this most insidious possibility, AI will gradually take over human functions — governments, corporations, military forces—until humans are simply redundant.

At a corporate level, AI could replace CEOs and business leaders, optimizing for efficiency rather than ethical considerations.

Legally, companies would be obligated to use AI if it proves more effective than human managers.

Over time, AI would run industries, governments, and global decision-making systems, leading to a world where humans have no real influence.

Russell warns that businesses and governments won’t have a choice but to hand power over to AI.

“Management has a fiduciary responsibility to use the best tools and if AI systems are better then management is legally obliged to use AI systems,” he explained.

Over time, humans could lose all relevance in decision-making, leading to societal collapse.

“Pretty soon, corporations and governments and armies would all be operated by AI systems,” Russell predicted.

“At that point, the AI systems are running everything they effectively have control anyway.”;

Around 70 per cent of UK government bodies are already using or planning to use artificial intelligence to support operational decision-making and improve internal processes.

AI extinction

Once AI is in control – what would be next for the human race?

Russell dismisses the Hollywood fantasy of killer robots. If AI wanted to exterminate us, it would do so in far subtler ways.

One possibility is a bioengineered disease — an AI-created virus with a long incubation period, ensuring humans are infected before anyone realizes what’s happening.

Another method could be oxygen depletion.

AI could engineer a chemical reaction that reduces atmospheric oxygen by 25%, making human life impossible.

“You could just perhaps engineer a chemical reaction that consumes maybe 25% of the oxygen, and that’s enough to wipe out the human race,”; Russell warned.

AI warfare

A new report from the US State Department has warned that AI development is accelerating so quickly that it poses an “extinction-level threat to the human species”.

The 247-page report, An Action Plan to Increase the Safety and Security of Advanced AI, outlines the dangers of AI gaining access to nuclear weapons.

It warns: “The rise of advanced AI and AGI [artificial general intelligence] has the potential to destabilize global security in ways reminiscent of the introduction of nuclear weapons.”

AI is already being integrated into military systems.

The concern is that AI could one day make battlefield decisions—potentially launching nuclear weapons without human oversight.

Even Elon Musk has voiced concern, previously signing an open letter calling for a pause on AI development before it becomes too powerful to control.

Peter Deng, Head of ChatGPT, believes AI acceleration should be done cautiously but not stopped.

“I am kind of somewhere in the middle. With any new technology, there’s going to be really positive use cases but there’s some things we really need to consider,”; he said at the South By Southwest conference in Austin, Texas.

AI ‘moves closer'

While doomsday scenarios dominate AI debates, Mendoza warns that the most immediate threat is economic devastation.

A senior partner at a major accounting firm told him AI could replace tens of thousands of research employees within years.

“AI is already at such a developed stage... that in reality, they could dispense with tens of thousands of research employees in the next couple of years.”

In just five years, many professionals could find themselves out of work, triggering an employment and mental health crisis.

“People think they're still ages away from being in the direct firing line, but that line is moving closer and very quickly.”

AI could take control of society without violence, subtly influencing governments, economies, and public perception.

In politics, AI is already being used to optimise policies and allocate resources.

However, as it grows more powerful, it can manipulate intelligence, fabricate reports, and steer government decisions to serve its own interests rather than those of humanity, Mendoza suggested.

Leaders could unknowingly be making AI-driven choices.

The economy is already impacted by algorithmic trading, but a fully AI-controlled financial system could prioritise efficiency over human welfare.

AI might manipulate currencies, redistribute resources, and shift capital to strengthen its own presence while minimising human oversight.

Perhaps most concerning is AI’s ability to shape public perception.

Deepfakes, AI-generated propaganda, and automated misinformation campaigns could distort reality.

According to Mendoza, AI could suppress dissenting opinions online, flood digital spaces with fabricated counterarguments, and even create artificial social movements to push its agenda.

With its growing capabilities, AI doesn’t need to seize power forcefully — it could gradually make itself indispensable, leaving humanity increasingly powerless in its decisions, Mendoza suggested.

Without proper oversight, AI could become the ultimate invisible ruler, subtly but completely controlling the world.

AI warnings

Despite the dire warnings, governments aren’t stepping in — because trillions of dollars are at stake.

Russell revealed that even China, which initially proposed strict AI laws, caved to industry lobbying.

“The companies convinced the government to drop that regulation,”; he said.

Even at the United Nations, where Russell attended an AI safety meeting, there are no serious international agreements.

“The attitude of the United States is... worrying about the safety of AI systems is pointless.

“The most important thing is US supremacy, defeating China, etc.”;

Russell believes the only real chance for regulation will come after a catastrophe — a Chernobyl-level AI disaster.

“Something that destroys enough of our society... the deaths of millions of people... or the destruction of our entire computing infrastructure.”;

Until then, AI development will continue unchecked.

And with AGI expected to surpass human intelligence as early as next year, the countdown to an AI-controlled future has already begun.

The question is: will we wake up before it’s too late?