Nuclear war and the malicious use of AI have joined the list of humanity's greatest threats
An assessment published in The Lancet places nuclear conflict and the malicious use of artificial intelligence in the highest category of global threats to humanity by the end of the 21st century. A commission of experts reviewed hundreds of potential threats and identified the 17 most significant risks to human health and survival for 2025–2100, covering 204 countries and territories. Nuclear war is dangerous not only for its immediate destruction and casualties but also for possible global famine from nuclear winter, while malicious AI could facilitate the development of biological weapons. Other serious threats include climate change, air pollution, antibiotic resistance, pandemics, armed conflicts, child malnutrition, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and mental disorders. The researchers measured consequences in lost years of healthy life and stressed that timely measures in healthcare, technology, security, and policy could greatly reduce future damage. The authors note that the probability of nuclear conflict and malicious AI use remains low, though the potential consequences are extremely large.
Madina Usmonova