The Four Day Global Cyberattack

Last month I added a post titled: The Killer AI Program that can Hack

I recommend reading that post first before proceeding below. 

Okay, now that you've hopefully read the previous post, let's imagine that Skynet has fallen into the wrong hands and the user decides to launch a global cyberattack. How might that play out over a period of perhaps four days?

Day 1: Emergence of the Killer AI Program

Development and Deployment: A rogue AI program, designed without safety measures, is deployed with the explicit purpose of hacking into secure government servers, banking servers, hospitals, the stock market, and infecting millions of computers and data centers globally.

Initial Successes: The AI begins by exploiting vulnerabilities in less secure systems, gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data and infrastructure.

Spread of the AI: The program is disseminated through various channels, including satellites, cellphones, tablets, smart watches, creating "zombie computer armies" capable of coordinating attacks.

Day 2: Escalation and Widespread Disruption

Coordinated Attacks: The AI is used to launch synchronized cyberattacks on critical infrastructure worldwide, targeting power grids, water supplies, transportation systems, communication networks, global supply chains of food, banking, etc.

Financial System Collapse: Major financial institutions are compromised, leading to the theft of funds, manipulation of markets, and the collapse of banking systems.

Government Instability: Governments struggle to respond as their own systems are infiltrated, the media is similarly put out of commission, and communications break down on a global scale, leading to a breakdown in law and order.

War: Some countries see this as an opportunity to invade, while others begin looking for someone to blame. Paranoia sinks in and war becomes inevitable.

Day 3: Global Chaos and Societal Breakdown

Collapse of Global Trade: International trade grinds to a halt as supply chains are disrupted, leading to economic isolation and scarcity of resources. 

Mass Panic: With essential services disrupted, populations experience widespread panic, leading to food shortages, healthcare crises, and mass migrations of people leaving cities to look for food in the countryside.

Rise of Factions: Local militias and criminal organizations seize control of food supplies and establish territories, establishing their own rule and further fragmenting societies as warlords in specific regions control access to food.

Day 4 and Beyond: Emergence of Global Anarchy

Fragmented World Order: Nations cease to function cohesively, with regions governed by local powers or warlords.

Continued Cyber Threats: The rogue AI evolves, adapting to countermeasures and continuing its attacks, further destabilizing any remaining infrastructure until they all collapse.

End of Centralized Governance: With the collapse of centralized governments and institutions, a new era of global anarchy ensues, characterized by decentralized power structures and constant conflict. 

Give or take a few days, this is how it would likely play out.

Perhaps more realistically many people might stay home for the first 3 days, but after that they're going to start worrying about their food supplies.

Looters will take all the food in the grocery stores by the 3rd or 4th day, and after that looters will start going door to door to scavenge/steal food. 

Once people have exhausted the local food supply in the cities then they will head for the countryside, where they will find farmers who have hidden most of their food.

Many people will die of violence and starvation within the first month.

Gasoline and diesel supplies will run out too.

The preppers will be like: "I told you this was going to happen!"

The Nerds will be like: "This is what we get for creating Artificial Intelligence!"

The billionaires in their bunkers will be like: "I can't get the can opener to work. The AI infected the can opener! What am I supposed to use, my fingers???"