OpenAI GPT-5 Sparks Existential Risk Debate

OpenAI's release of GPT-5 in mid-2025 reignited global debate about artificial general intelligence after the model demonstrated remarkable reasoning and autonomous task completion capabilities. Hundreds of AI researchers signed an open letter calling for a halt to further capability scaling until safety benchmarks were established. Governments in the EU, UK, and US convened emergency AI advisory panels in response.