Researchers say isolating AIs from the internet limits realistic testing

Physically isolating computers — known as air gapping — can make it harder for AI agents to reach external targets or for outside systems to enter a test environment. However, researchers interviewed by The Verge say the measure reduces the realism of evaluations, which often require external services, APIs and digital infrastructure, while increasing costs and slowing iterations. Applying it to every experiment could also delay the development of new models and may not be feasible at the scale of frontier AI labs.

Isolation would not eliminate every risk: agents could still compromise systems inside the environment or produce dangerous artifacts if they were moved outside it. The barrier could also be breached through methods such as USB devices or signals transmitted by internal components, although those routes are difficult. Researchers therefore describe air gapping as a trade-off between safety and realism, rather than a definitive technical solution.