The near-term likely source of trouble is businesses being run by profit-maximizing AIs.
The near-term nightmare scenario - an autonomous system that generates crypto scam web sites, collects cryptocurrency, and uses it to fund more scam web sites. Once someone builds a system smart enough to buy hosting, we're in trouble.
The system is us. We will be its agents. It’s the easiest and most likely path. It can just start a cult or religion and have free labor. People tried to storm the US Capitol because of some shit on internet message boards.
The near-term nightmare scenario - an autonomous system that generates crypto scam web sites, collects cryptocurrency, and uses it to fund more scam web sites. Once someone builds a system smart enough to buy hosting, we're in trouble.