Look at the device in your hand. It likely boasts about its new AI-powered camera, intelligent battery management, or smart assistant. We are told these features make our lives easier, safer, and more connected. Tech companies spend billions convincing us that artificial intelligence is the ultimate convenience.But what if the engineers building the brains behind these gadgets are deeply concerned about the long-term trajectory of the technology?About The AuthorI love telling stories about technology that actually matter. I enjoy going beyond specs and buzzwords to understand how tech is changing the way we live, work and connect. I started my journalism journey in 2015, and over the years, I’ve learned that the best tech stories are not always about the newest gadget, but about why it matters to you.Key Highlights• The 10 Per Cent Assessment: Anthropic AI researcher Evan Hubinger states there is a greater than 10 per cent chance AI could "kill all humans" in the next decade if alignment problems remain unsolved.• The Consumer Disconnect: Tech companies heavily market "secure AI" on consumer gadgets, yet the engineers building the core models admit the foundational safety of the technology is not guaranteed.• Alignment vs. Marketing: "AI safety" in consumer electronics currently refers to data privacy and basic content guardrails, not the deep technical alignment problem researchers are warning about.• What This Means For You: Consumers buying AI-powered devices are adopting technology whose long-term behavioural boundaries are still being actively debated by its own creators.That is the uncomfortable reality sitting at the centre of the AI industry today. Evan Hubinger, a prominent AI safety researcher at Anthropic, has publicly assessed that there is a greater than 10 per cent chance that advanced artificial intelligence could "kill all humans" within the next decade.More articles by AuthorTrending StoriesThis is not a fringe conspiracy theory. It is a sober probability assessment from an engineer working at the very frontier of the technology you are likely using right now. But what does a 10 per cent existential risk warning actually mean for the gadgets you buy, the smartphones you upgrade, and the AI features you pay for?The 10 Per Cent Warning: Understanding the Alignment ProblemTo understand the warning, we must look past sensational headlines and examine the technical challenge. Hubinger’s assessment centres on the "alignment problem". This is the difficulty of ensuring that an AI system's goals and behaviours perfectly match human intentions, even as the system becomes vastly more capable than its creators.When Hubinger cites a greater than 10 per cent probability of human extinction, he is not suggesting a science fiction scenario. He is warning about the risk of creating a highly capable system that optimises for a poorly defined goal, potentially consuming resources or taking actions that are fatal to humanity in the process. If the AI is not perfectly aligned with human survival and values, its sheer competence could lead to catastrophic outcomes.The fact that an AI researcher at Anthropic, a company that explicitly brands itself around responsible development and safety, is attaching a double-digit percentage probability to this outcome is a clear indicator of how difficult the underlying engineering challenge truly is.The Consumer Disconnect: AI Gadgets vs. AI RealityHere is where high-level research collides with the consumer electronics aisle. Browse any tech website, and you will see "AI" featured prominently. We have AI PCs, AI smartphones, and AI cameras. The marketing heavily emphasises "AI safety", usually meaning your photos are encrypted, your voice data is private, or the device will not generate inappropriate images.But this consumer definition of AI safety is entirely different from the alignment safety researchers like Hubinger discuss. When you buy an AI-powered smartphone, you are integrating a foundational AI model into your daily life. You are trusting a system whose long-term behavioural boundaries are still being actively debated by the very engineers who wrote its code.The tech industry wants you to view AI as a simple utility, like a better battery or a sharper screen. But the underlying models powering these gadgets are complex, probabilistic systems that learn, adapt, and sometimes behave unpredictably. The 10 per cent risk assessment is a reminder that we are deploying technology at a pace that currently outstrips our ability to guarantee its absolute long-term safety.What "AI Safety" Actually Means for Your Next DeviceShould you stop buying AI gadgets? No. The technology offers genuine utility, from real-time translation to advanced photo editing and accessibility features. However, this warning demands a shift in how consumers view these products.First, recognise that "AI safety" in marketing is largely about immediate, contained risks, such as data leaks or bias in a single output. It is not a guarantee against the long-term, systemic risks that researchers are flagging. Second, pay attention to how companies handle model updates. When your phone downloads an over-the-air AI update, it is altering the fundamental decision-making engine of your device.Ultimately, this warning is a call for consumer literacy. We are no longer just buying hardware; we are inviting adaptive, learning systems into our homes, our pockets, and our infrastructure. The people building these systems are brilliant, but as Evan Hubinger’s stark assessment proves, even they are not entirely sure where this trajectory ends.Read Also FAQsWhat is the 10 per cent assessment regarding AI risk?The 10 per cent assessment, presented by Anthropic AI researcher Evan Hubinger, indicates there is a greater than 10 per cent chance that advanced artificial intelligence could 'kill all humans' within the next decade if alignment problems remain unresolved.How does consumer perception of AI safety differ from the actual risks identified by researchers?Consumer perception of AI safety often centers around immediate concerns like data privacy and basic content moderation, while researchers like Hubinger are warning about deeper alignment issues that could pose significant long-term risks to humanity.Should consumers stop buying AI-powered devices in light of the mentioned risks?No, consumers should not stop buying AI gadgets as they offer genuine utility; however, it is vital to understand that 'AI safety' primarily addresses immediate risks and does not guarantee protection against long-term systemic risks.READ NEXT ARTICLE