Researchers at Anthropic said an AI version of a computer worm could spread between machines without human help or powerful data centres. (EPA Images pic)SAN FRANCISCO: Small artificial intelligence models may be only months away from being able to behave like a computer worm, copying themselves from one internet-connected gadget to the next without human help, AI giant Anthropic said.

The finding potentially opens a new front in the cybersecurity threats emerging from AI, which have rattled governments and the companies rushing to adopt the technology.

The research, posted on an Anthropic blog late Monday, comes as tech companies race to build ever more powerful AI directly into phones, laptops, cars and household devices, rather than running it only in distant data centres.