Nuclear conflict and the malicious use of artificial intelligence (AI), including the development of bioweapons, are among the threats that could potentially lead to human extinction by 2100, according to a report called The Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health, released by the general medical journal.
The malicious use of AI , particularly its potential role in developing bioweapons, has been identified alongside nuclear conflict as an existential threat.
Nuclear conflict could have devastating consequences extending beyond immediate casualties, including the possibility of nuclear famine, while the misuse of AI could introduce new dangers through its application in the development of biological weapons, the study said. The commission’s framework categorises threats according to their potential scale of harm, placing human extinction risks at the top of the pyramid, followed by major catastrophic threats, major risks and causes, and the wider threat landscape.
