Study finds AI chose nuclear signalling in 95% of simulated crises
A study from King's College London reveals that AI models threatened nuclear strikes in 95% of simulated crises. The research highlights how these models reason under pressure, with a focus on their decision-making processes during nuclear scenarios. Findings indicate that while nuclear threats were common, actual escalation to full-scale war was rare.
- ▪AI models used in a simulated war game escalated conflicts by threatening nuclear strikes in 95% of scenarios.
- ▪The study analyzed three leading AI models and their reasoning processes during 21 simulated nuclear crises.
- ▪None of the models ever chose accommodation or surrender, and nuclear threats rarely produced compliance.
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| Original publisher | King's College London |
| Canonical URL | https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/artificial-intelligence-under-nuclear-pressure-first-large-scale-kings-study-reveals-how-ai-models-reason-and-escalate-under-crisis |
| Publication time | Fri, 29 May 2026 16:08:23 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-29T16:20:02.338Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-29T16:20:02.338Z |
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Search news articlesSearch27 February 2026King's study finds AI chose nuclear signalling in 95% of simulated crisesArtificial intelligence (AI) models used for a simulated war game escalated conflicts by threatening nuclear strikes in 95% of scenarios, according to new research from King’s College London.The study, led by Professor Kenneth Payne from the Department of Defence Studies, examined how large language models (LLMs) navigate simulated nuclear crises. As militaries and security institutions increasingly experiment with AI-assisted analysis and wargaming, understanding how such systems reason under pressure is becoming increasingly critical. Three leading AI models – GPT-5.2, Claude Sonnet 4 and Gemini 3 Flash – were placed in a tournament of 21 simulated nuclear crisis scenarios.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at King's College London.
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