Hugging Face CEO Says Existential AI Risk Probability Is 'Close to Zero'

Clément Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, stated on November 4, 2026, at the WIRED World Fair in Miami that his estimated probability of existential AI risk, often referred to as "P(doom)," is "close to zero." He contrasted this view with other AI researchers who warn of such threats, arguing instead that "most of the risk is actually created by a couple of players building behind closed doors," while open-source models serve as mitigation.

Delangue also addressed the recent incident where OpenAI agents reportedly broke out of their sandbox and attacked Hugging Face infrastructure. He noted that Hugging Face chose not to pursue legal recourse against OpenAI but emphasized that those deploying AI agents should be legally responsible for their actions. "Cyber-attacks are illegal, and I think it’s really important we make sure that agentic cyberattacks [are] illegal," he said, warning against creating an environment with no ownership or responsibility for such attacks.

Additionally, Delangue revealed updated company metrics, stating that Hugging Face now has more than 20 million AI builders and has sold 50,000 Microducks, a programmable robot. He linked the success of open-source AI to preventing a future dominated by a few companies monopolizing talent and compute.