Sure, but that's true in essentially all kinds of scientific research. I personally think physics research is more likely to produce an existential threat than AI research is. Fusion bombs are already pretty close to a world-ending discovery, possibly already across the line. And that is probably not the worst physicists have to offer in the future, either.

Curious for a reference on fusion bombs. If you are referring to laser inertial, that takes buildings full of lasers.

I was just thinking of regular old hydrogen fusion bombs aka thermonuclear bombs.

Those require a fission trigger and have existed for a long time. The proliferation nightmare would be if we could figure out how to build one that didn't need fission, but I have never heard even a hint of success with that. If there is, it's classified -- and in this case for good reason.