A well-known public relations firm linked to AI skeptics assisted Jacob Coxon as the former Anthropic researcher made waves by sounding alarms about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. This was reported despite his claims of not collaborating with others to voice his apprehensions.
DEY. Ideas + Influence helped organize interviews for Coxon shortly after he resigned on September 8 and warned that those developing advanced AI believe the technology “could kill us all by the end of the decade,” according to a report from Pirate Wires, which branded DEY. a “doomer” PR agency.
The report referenced sources familiar with the situation and mentioned an email indicating DEY. was trying to set up an interview for the 27-year-old tech expert.
Additionally, DEY. reportedly also arranged media appearances for Nate Soares, another critic of AI, during the same time frame, adding another layer to this unfolding story.
Soares leads the Machine Intelligence Research Institute and has recently made headlines regarding his relationship with Aella, an OnlyFans model who has openly discussed their unconventional kinks and shared that they created adult content together.
The report from Pirate Wires raised some eyebrows about the extent to which Coxon’s rapid increase in media exposure was orchestrated.
This wave of coverage seemed to start with a social media post by Coxon on September 8, which reportedly garnered over 173 million views.
He claimed on X that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”
He insisted it wasn’t a publicity stunt, adding that tech executives and senior researchers often express greater fears in private than they do publicly.
Within 24 hours, Coxon found himself on several major news networks, being interviewed by outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Axios, Time, and Wired.
During one of these interviews, Fox News anchor Bret Baier directly questioned Coxon about whether he collaborated with any external parties for his public disclosures.
Coxon replied, “Not at all.”
However, the swiftness with which his doomer message gained traction—especially with Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, expressing agreement with Coxon’s views—raised suspicions.
Elon Musk commented on the situation, suggesting that the groundwork for such a psychological operation had been set for a while, calling it “the match that lit the fire.”
Pirate Wires indicated they were unable to pinpoint when Coxon began working with DEY.
Soares mentioned on X that he personally connected Coxon with DEY. after his initial post rapidly accumulated over 100,000 likes shortly after it was made.
As of the report, Coxon hadn’t replied to requests for comments from Pirate Wires, nor had DEY.
This communications company represents numerous notable figures and organizations engaged in discussions surrounding AI safety.
Clients of DEY. include Eliezer Yudkowsky, co-author of the alarmist “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies,” and Timnit Gebru, noted by Wired as one of AI’s strongest critics.
DEY. also advises the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, where Soares is in charge, in addition to Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Stanford Medicine, according to the report.
On their website, DEY. states they are involved in “the ongoing work of shaping public understanding over time.”
The Post has attempted to obtain comments from Coxon and DEY.
