With the exception of creating images and using a proofreading tool, I don’t use AI when I write my posts. Everything comes from my 30 years of prepping experience and my brain. But can AI help you prep? My thinking was, it probably can, unless you are already a subject matter expert.
I decided to test my theory by asking Grok the following:
What are the top ten things preppers or survivalists are worried about and what steps can they take to protect themselves and their families?
It took Grok 49 seconds to come up with the following. (Stay tuned as I evaluate and critique Grok’s answer, below.):
Top 10 Concerns for Preppers and Survivalists
Based on recent analyses of prepper trends and global risks as of 2025, here are the top 10 worries commonly cited by survivalists. These draw from a synthesis of expert predictions, focusing on practical, high-impact threats like supply chain vulnerabilities and climate impacts rather than speculative scenarios. For each, I’ve included actionable steps to protect yourself and your family, emphasizing self-sufficiency, redundancy, and community.
| Rank | Concern | Description | Protective Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Economic Instability | Persistent inflation, market volatility, job losses, and supply chain breakdowns could lead to shortages of essentials and financial collapse, exacerbating inequality and reducing access to goods. | Diversify assets with cash, precious metals, and barterable items like tools or skills; build a 6-12 month emergency fund; learn income-generating trades (e.g., repair, gardening); stockpile non-perishables for 3-6 months. |
| 2 | Food Supply Disruptions | Climate events, geopolitical tensions, and trade restrictions may cause crop failures, price spikes, and empty shelves, hitting urban areas hardest due to reliance on imports. | Start a home garden or hydroponic system for fresh produce; preserve food via canning, dehydration, or freezing; stock 3-6 months of calorie-dense staples like rice, beans, and canned goods; join local food co-ops for networks. |
| 3 | Water Security Crises | Droughts, pollution, contamination, and infrastructure failures from disasters could limit clean water access, leading to health risks and rationing in populated regions. | Store 1 gallon per person/pet per day for 2 weeks minimum (rotate stock); invest in portable filters, purification tablets, or rainwater collection barrels; scout local sources like streams and learn boiling/UV treatment methods. |
| 4 | Power Grid Failures | Cyberattacks, aging infrastructure, storms, or overloads may cause prolonged blackouts, disrupting heating, refrigeration, and communications. | Install solar panels or portable generators with fuel storage; use battery banks and hand-crank chargers; prepare low-tech alternatives like propane stoves and LED lanterns; insulate your home for passive heating/cooling. |
| 5 | Extreme Weather and Climate Events | Intensifying hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and heatwaves could displace families, destroy homes, and overwhelm emergency services, with rising insurance costs adding financial strain. | Create a family evacuation plan with multiple routes; reinforce your home (e.g., storm shutters, sandbags); build a 72-hour bug-out bag with weather-specific gear; monitor forecasts via battery radio and have cash for post-event needs. |
| 6 | Pandemics and Health Outbreaks | New pathogens or antibiotic resistance could spread rapidly in dense areas, straining medical systems and requiring isolation, as seen in past events. | Stockpile PPE (masks, gloves), OTC meds, and a basic first-aid kit; practice hygiene protocols and quarantine drills; learn telemedicine basics and herbal remedies; vaccinate family and build immunity with nutrition. |
| 7 | Social Unrest and Civil Disturbances | Political polarization, protests, or resource scarcity may spark looting, violence, or service breakdowns, heightening personal safety risks in cities. | Enhance home security with reinforced doors, cameras, and motion lights; form neighborhood watch groups; carry concealed protection if legal; develop de-escalation skills and have a safe room plan. |
| 8 | Cybersecurity and Tech Disruptions | Ransomware or hacks on banks, utilities, and devices could freeze finances, communications, and smart homes, leading to widespread chaos. | Use offline backups for data; learn analog navigation (maps, compasses); secure devices with VPNs and two-factor auth; prepare Faraday bags for electronics and practice cash-based transactions. |
| 9 | Infrastructure and Supply Chain Breakdowns | Failures in transportation, fuel, or communications from any trigger could halt deliveries, isolating communities and amplifying other threats. | Maintain a full fuel tank and extra cans; stock spare parts for vehicles/appliances; build local trade networks; learn basic mechanics and radio communication for coordination. |
| 10 | Geopolitical Conflicts or Nuclear Risks | Escalating wars, EMP events, or nuclear incidents could cause radiation, fallout, or global fallout, disrupting trade and triggering refugee crises. | Prepare a fallout shelter with air filters and Geiger counters; stock iodine tablets for radiation; monitor global news via shortwave radio; have a relocation plan to rural areas with family ties. |
Evaluating Grok’s Answer
While nothing Grok said is necessarily wrong, I disagree with the order. While water may indeed be one of the most critical preps, I have never met anyone other than a farmer or a desert dweller who puts “water security issues” in their top three survival concerns. The lack of clean water is an issue in a wide range of survival scenarios. My assumption is that Grok saw a great deal of information on water storage for preppers and misinterpreted that to conclude a lack of water is a leading threat.
In my opinion, Grok put “Pandemics and Health Outbreaks” (oh no, health is breaking out!) too high on the list of concerns. For example, I think “Social Unrest and Civil Disturbances,” which is happening right now across many parts of the country, is probably a greater concern to most than fears of another pandemic. Again, my assumption is that Grok saw the massive amount of coverage COVID got in the media and on X/Twitter and decided it was a greater concern than social unrest and “Geopolitical Conflicts and Nuclear Risks.”
Speaking of the latter category, with wars brewing in Europe, Asia and South America, I can’t believe nucellar and geopolitical conflicts are ranked at the bottom. I am also surprised that terrorist and terror attacks were missing. There’s good intelligence that a “second 9/11” is in the works that would target multiple locations. Perhaps its very newness is why that threat isn’t included.
Superficial
I am also underwhelmed with the amount of data that Grok provided. I’ll admit that I used the free version of Grok and the Fast setting, so it is giving me a fast answer while the Thinking or Heavy options would no doubt give me more details. If I wanted to delve more deeply, I could ask for specifics, such as what canned food should I store?
If I was the 29-year-old newbie prepper, as I was back in the 1990s, I might think Grok’s answer had too many steps. Doing things like setting up a home hydroponic system, buying rain barrels, protecting my house with sandbags (I lived in an apartment), forming a neighborhood watch, and preparing a fallout shelter with air filters and Geiger counters might sound impossible.
All this makes me wonder if my recommendations often sound like more than many people think they can handle. (Just take small steps and build up over time.)
I have to admit, I liked the table format. (Sadly, WordPress doesn’t allow me to adjust column widths.) Grok’s answers tend to be lists, tables and steps to take. Nothing wrong with that.
Another Question
Wanting to see how detailed an answer I would get to a more direct question, I asked:
What is the most important thing I can do to be prepared for a disaster?
Gork said: “According to major disaster response organizations like FEMA and the CDC, the single most important step you can take to prepare for a disaster is to create a family or household emergency plan.”
The full answer then detailed why this is the priority and gave four steps: assess your risks and needs, outline key elements, document it, and practice the plan by running a quarterly drill. Again, none of this is a bad idea, but a plan won’t protect me. I can’t eat it, drink it, or use it for shelter. Grok never says to put the plan into action.
If someone asks me, “What is the most important thing I can do to be prepared for a disaster?” I tell them to store 30-days’ worth of dried and canned food. Even if they do nothing else, that will be better first step. Water would be step two, with shelter as step three. I think that’s a better answer than Grok’s.
The mistake here is that Grok relied on FEMA and the CDC instead of information in the preppersphere. Grok is supposed to keep in mind what I previously asked, so it should have put this answer in prepping context.
Conclusion
Can AI help you prep? Yes, especially if you are new at it. Many of the “Protective Steps” could have come straight from my website, although I give more details. However, Grok and other similar AI tools are not experts and lack experience. AI gathers and sifts information better and faster than you or I can, but it can be misled. For example, it appears to confuse frequency of information with urgency or importance.
If you have a specific question, Grok can give you an answer. It may not be the optimal answer, but it may be better than no answer. To get better answers, you need to give better, more detailed and specific prompts. There’s a learning curve to do that well.
Grok’s answers are like what I see many people 16-to-30 say and do: they have an answer but they never thought about what it takes to implement the answer. That’s great if I want to know a fact, like what the capital of Washington State is. It’s less good if I want to decide whether I should move to Olympia, Seattle, or Spokane.
At this point, AI is good at collating and arranging data—which can be a huge timesaver—but at this basic level, it’s not so good at analyzing, evaluating, and drawing a conclusion. Can we get there? Yes, but we’d have to feed in all sorts of data. Things that our brain automatically includes, like how many kids I have, what they like to eat, that one needs to see a medical specialist once a month, and that we don’t like taking public transportation. Can we feed all this data to AI? Yes. I expect your own personal AI will soon know as much about your family as you do, but only if you give it access to reams of personal and financial data. (Count me out.)
The Future
As we move from the Google World to the AI World (and never doubt AI is here to stay), we will have more data at our fingertips but less comprehension of how to use that data in the real world. It may be convenient to point a camera at a broken light switch and say, “Grok, how can I fix this,” but if you have never used a screwdriver and don’t have wire cutters, Grok can only accomplish so much. At least until household robots powered by AI become as common as the family car.
Here is my fear: Ten years in the future, a nuclear mushroom cloud forms on the horizon. All around you, young hands lift phones and ask their favorite AI app, “What is that?” Meanwhile, everyone over the age of 45 is running for shelter. The young are still waiting for an answer when the blast wave hits them.
Just remember, having almost instant access to information is not a replacement for experience, common sense, or know-how. Don’t expect AI to save you when the world as we know it comes to an end.
