Malicious use of AI and nuclear conflict pose the biggest threat to human extinction by the year 2100, global experts have warned.
Co-chaired by Dr Christopher JL Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, and Dr. Natalia Kanem, former executive director of the United Nations Population Fund, the risk assessment was compiled drawing on the expertise of 35 leaders spanning health, economics, security, governance and technology, according to Sky News.
Authors of The Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health examined hundreds of possible dangers, drawing on historical evidence and new risk analysis covering 204 countries and territories from the IHME to draw the list of worst-case scenarios.
In addition to the two extinction-potential threats - 15 catastrophic dangers to human health are also identified, including air pollution, climate change, high alcohol use, naturally occurring pandemics, obesity, smoking and poor mental health.
Researchers warned world leaders the greatest threats to human survival and health required co-ordinated, targeted action - and must be addressed together.
Decisions across health, finance, climate, defense and security sectors will determine how many years of good health future generations gain - or lose - to preventable illness and early death, they said, adding there was “a realistic route to act.”
Commission co-chair Professor Murray said: “The striking finding is not only the scale of these threats, but that humanity still has the agency to act.”
“Across all 17 catastrophic threats, the decisions made by leaders today will shape the health and wellbeing of the next generation. But delaying action will only serve to shift and increase the costs into the future.”
For her part, Kanem said: “Recent global events show us just how quickly stability can give way to crisis, and how costly it is to respond only after disaster strikes. And the global threats to health risk amplifying existing inequalities, with the greatest burden falling on the most vulnerable communities.”
“the future is not inevitable. The commission makes a compelling case for reshaping the future by embedding foresight into decision-making. Governments and communities must act decisively starting today, to protect health and build a fairer, more peaceful and more secure future for the coming generations,” Kanem added.
