[Article] “The case for reducing existential risks” by Benjamin Todd

What experts say are the most likely existential risks, why they're more likely than people think, and what we can do about them.

Narrated by AI.

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Outline:

(00:54) Prefer a podcast?

(01:40) Prefer a book?

(02:00) We'll mail you the book (for free)

(04:10) How likely are you to be killed by an asteroid? An overview of naturally occurring existential threats

(05:43) A history of progress, leading to the start of the most dangerous epoch in human history

(08:20) Nuclear weapons: a history of near misses

(12:09) How big is the risk posed by climate change?

(13:27) What new technologies might be as dangerous as nuclear weapons?

(14:07) Engineered pandemics

(15:17) Artificial intelligence

(18:27) Other risks from emerging technologies

(19:40) What's the total risk of human extinction if we add everything together?

(21:21) Why helping to safeguard the future could be the most important thing you can do with your life

(26:24) Why these risks are some of the most neglected global issues

(30:46) What can be done about these risks?

(31:30) 1. Targeted efforts to reduce specific risks

(33:18) 2. Broad efforts to reduce risks

(37:09) 3. Learning more and building capacity

(39:25) In total, how effective is it to reduce these risks?

(42:41) Who shouldn't prioritise safeguarding the future?

(42:55) You need to focus more on your friends and family

(43:47) You think the risks are much lower than weve argued

(44:19) You think theres almost nothing more we can do about the risks

(46:19) You think theres a better way of helping the future

(50:04) Youre confident the future will be short or bad

(51:49) Youre confident we have much stronger moral obligations to help the present generation

(52:58) Want to help reduce existential threats?

(53:54) Learn more

(53:57) Top recommendations

(54:14) Further recommendations

(55:12) Read next

The original text contained 35 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
October 28th, 2017

Last updated:
June 8th, 2022

Source:
https://80000hours.org/articles/existential-risks

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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