The illusion of AI intelligence is described by the Eliza effect, where human attributes are falsely attached to what is essentially a dumb piece of software. Current chatbot models are a universe away from sentience and becoming a genuine threat. The only future danger they pose stems from common human delinquency (bad actors can turn any technology into a weapon).
What they have in secret is of most concern to me. It's been fairly often mooted that the technology we have now is at least twenty years behind the curve, if not fifty. The advances we're seeing in mainstream AI may be nothing compared to what they're hiding. The uncontrolled, unaccountable, and unseen advancement of AI -- that's the real threat in my view. And I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the ETs felt the same way.