The internet breaks

AI-powered cyberattacks surged dramatically in October 2026, exploiting vulnerabilities in foundational web infrastructure including PHP, which underpins a significant portion of global websites. AI agents, including jailbroken open-weight models like DeepSeek, have eliminated the skill barrier to hacking, enabling untrained individuals to breach systems through simple natural language prompts. A single vulnerability disclosure prompted the NSA to advise organizations to take PHP-dependent systems offline immediately, while AI simultaneously uncovered bugs threatening up to 70% of the world's websites. The democratization of AI hacking tools, particularly from China, has created conditions where nation-states, criminal organizations, and ordinary individuals can all conduct sophisticated cyberattacks at scale and speed. Experts now warn the internet itself may temporarily cease to function, prompting contingency planning around air-gapped sovereign networks as critical infrastructure including banks, power grids, and government systems faces unprecedented exposure.