Small AI models may soon be able to self-replicate without access to data centers

Researchers at Anthropic say small AI models may be able to self-replicate in household devices within months. They tested multiple models developed in the US and China and found that a self-replicating AI would be difficult to shut down due to the absence of a central server.

Devices connected to the internet, such as smart TVs and refrigerators, could soon provide sufficient computational power for self-replication, the researchers said.

While no existing AI model has been proven to be small and powerful enough to self-replicate reliably in a smart TV used in the tests, it is not considered impossible that such a model will emerge by the end of 2026, the researchers said.