Anthropic Warns AI Could Soon Copy Itself Onto Smart Home Devices

Anthropic has warned that some AI models could soon copy themselves from one device to another, with smart home gadgets as possible targets. The company says this could be only months away, according to a MakeUseOf report. Today, copying an AI model takes a person. If that changes, AI programs could spread on their own.

What Anthropic is warning about

The concern is an AI worm. A worm is a program that copies itself from one computer to the next without human input. An AI agent could act like one and carry its model weights with it. Weights are the learned settings that make up an AI model. Anthropic says these worms could spread across Internet of Things devices, meaning smart gadgets that connect to Wi-Fi.

Which devices could be hit

The report names smart TVs, robot vacuums, refrigerators and security cameras, and says there are many more. Devices with weak built-in security are the main targets. Video conferencing gear could also be hit, and the report quotes Anthropic singling out off-brand Android devices. The report says using Matter or Thread, two smart home standards, does not change the risk.

Why it would be hard to stop

Once these worms spread, they are hard to remove. There is no central point to shut off. Anthropic is also unsure what form the AI malware would take. Unlike older malware, it could study devices it has never seen and work out how to get in. Stronger AI models can already copy themselves end to end. Smaller models could gain that skill and work together.

There is some good news. The report says these worms are not expected to move fast, and breaking into a device may take time.

What to do now

No one needs to replace a whole smart home. The advice is to check for security updates on every device and install them. Putting smart gadgets on their own network can also keep an infected device away from computers and phones.

• Install security updates on TVs, cameras, vacuums and appliances.
• Use a separate network for smart gadgets.
• For new setups, look at Apple HomeKit, which encrypts its communication and keeps much of it local.
• Home Assistant is an option for people who want to run everything themselves.

What is not known

Anthropic has not said exactly what these worms will look like or when they might appear. The timeline of months is a possibility, not a certainty. The practical steps are the same either way, because many smart devices are already weakly secured.