# If an AI crisis gets out of control: what it could mean and what to do

> Plain-language scenarios for an AI-related crisis, what you would notice, what helps, and a one-hour, one-weekend and one-month plan.

## Short answer

If AI-related failures ever spread beyond what people can contain, the first things you would lose are **power, networks, payments, deliveries and trustworthy information**, possibly for days or weeks. The same basic preparation covers all of them: water, light, warmth, cash, a battery radio, medicine, food for a month, paper copies of what matters, and an offline library. None of this needs you to believe in any particular scenario.

This page is the practical companion to [why Day Zero exists](/day-zero/purpose). It describes **possible** situations; none is predicted.

## What it could look like

| Possible situation | What you would notice | What helps most | Start here |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted attack on power or networks | Outages, no mobile signal, cash machines down | Water, light, warmth, radio, cash | [72 hours](/day-zero/first-72-hours), [energy](/day-zero/energy), [communication](/day-zero/communication) |
| Cascading failure of AI-dependent services | Payments fail, shelves empty, deliveries stop | Food for a month, cash, paper contacts and maps | [what to store](/day-zero/stockpile), [7 days](/day-zero/first-7-days) |
| Flood of false information | Conflicting news, fake officials, panic | Radio, trusted local sources, family code words | [communication](/day-zero/communication), [network](/day-zero/network) |
| Autonomous systems acting outside limits | Sudden market, supply or service shocks | Savings in more than one form, local skills | [30 days](/day-zero/first-30-days), [teamwork](/day-zero/teamwork) |
| Loss of control of very advanced AI (hypothetical) | Unknown | Keeping knowledge, people and small groups intact | [rebuild path](/day-zero/rebuild-path), [knowledge](/day-zero/knowledge) |

## What to do, by time

**In one hour**
- Fill a few containers with water. Charge phones and power banks. Write down five phone numbers on paper, and agree two meeting points with your household.
- Check the [monitor](/monitor) so you know today's level.

**In one weekend**
- Do [step 1 and 2 of the storage list](/day-zero/stockpile): 14 days of water, light, warmth, fire, and food for a month.
- Download the [offline kit](/downloads) to two drives and keep one outside your home.
- Read [the first 72 hours](/day-zero/first-72-hours).

**In one month**
- Add medicine, tools and seeds. Learn first aid from a certified course.
- Run the [weekend drill](/day-zero/drill) once.
- Meet neighbours and share a copy of the archive ([network plan](/day-zero/network)).

**Every month**
- Refresh the download kit and re-check your drive. See [Downloads](/downloads).

## What not to do

- **Do not panic-buy** or hoard medicine others need. Buy a little extra each week.
- **Do not spread unverified claims.** In a real crisis, rumours hurt more than shortages.
- **Do not isolate.** Groups survive what individuals cannot ([teamwork](/day-zero/teamwork)).
- **Do not ignore authorities** while they can still be reached.

## How likely is it?

Nobody knows. Experts disagree, and most serious scenarios are hypothetical today. What is real now is smaller: outages, AI-assisted fraud and hacking, and misleading content. We record those on the [monitor](/monitor) and in the [incident record](/record). Preparing for the small ones already covers much of the large ones.

## Who is this for?

Families, small businesses, clinics, schools and communities that would like a calm, written plan. If you only read one thing, read [the first 72 hours](/day-zero/first-72-hours).

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Source: https://www.toswo.com/day-zero/ai-crisis
Published by TOSWO Research (https://www.toswo.com/research). Free to cite with attribution: https://www.toswo.com/cite