The malicious use of artificial intelligence or a nuclear war could put humanity at risk of extinction by the end of this century.
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This is the warning issued by a study published in the scientific journal The Lancet, which lists 17 major threats to human health and survival over the next 75 years.
Alongside artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons, the study highlights the climate crisis, pandemics, air pollution, antimicrobial resistance and child malnutrition. The list also includes conventional conflicts, declining international aid, excessive alcohol consumption, hypertension, income inequality, low levels of education, obesity, mental health problems, smoking and unhealthy ageing.
To compile the list, the researchers examined current trends and calculated the years of healthy life that could be lost due to illness, disability or premature death associated with each risk.
According to experts, these threats should not be viewed in isolation: they are interconnected and can worsen one another’s consequences. Addressing them requires coordinated action and responsible decisions at the international level.
“The health and well-being of the next generation will depend on the decisions that leaders make today,” said Professor Christopher Murray, co-chair of The Lancet committee that conducted the study and director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
The study notes that some of the most extreme scenarios have a low probability of occurring, but if they do, the consequences could be catastrophic and threaten the very existence of humanity.
The findings underscore the need to act early against global risks, as today’s policies will directly affect the security, health and quality of life of future generations.
