Working together to face humanity’s greatest threats: Introduction to the Future of Research on Catastrophic and Existential Risk

Currie, Adrian; hÉigeartaigh, Seán Ó

doi:10.1016/j.futures.2018.07.003

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…"We would argue that the perspective of existential and catastrophic risk should be built into how we shape the future. If we wish to continue to reap the benefits of human civilizational progress on our fragile blue planet, while avoiding the worst potential consequences of our unique capabilities as a species, such a perspective is both necessary and urgent" (Currie & Ó hÉigeartaigh, 2018).…”

Section: What Might Be Done To Mitigate Existential Risks?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This possibility justifies some effort to analyze existential risks and contribute to their mitigation. There are calls from the existential risk research community for more analysis and wider dialogue to better understand these threats and how we might respond to them (Cotton- Barratt, Daniel, & Sandberg, 2020;Currie & Ó hÉigeartaigh, 2018;Ord, 2020). We acknowledge the competing demands on global policymakers.…”

Section: Introduction To Existential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although our species has shown resilience in the past when faced with catastrophe, this does not mean humanity is immune from extinction (Currie & Ó hÉigeartaigh, 2018; Ord, 2020). Indeed, some argue that the risk of human extinction is greater now than it has ever been (Ord, 2020; Rees, 2003).…”

Section: Introduction To Existential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This includes technical academic research, as well as policy advice, emerging from such organizations as the Future of Humanity Institute, the Future of Life Institute, and the Centre for the Study of Existential Risks, among several other organizations. One journal has dedicated three special issues to existential risk, the most recent being, “Futures of Research in Catastrophic and Existential Risk” (Currie & Ó hÉigeartaigh, 2018).…”

Section: Introduction To Existential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Existential Risks to Humanity Should Concern International Policymakers and More Could Be Done in Considering Them at the International Governance Level

Boyd¹,

Wilson

2020

Risk Analysis

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In this perspective, we consider the possible role of the United Nations (UN) with respect to existential risks to human civilization and the survival of humanity. We illustrate how existential risks have been discussed at an international governance level, specifically in documents in the UN Digital Library. In this large corpus, discussions of nuclear war account for over two-thirds (69%, 67/97) of mentions of existential risks, while mention of other existential risks, or such risks as a category, appears scant. We take these observations to imply inadequate attention to these significant threats. These deficits, combined with the need for a global response to many risks, suggest that UN member nations should urgently advocate for appropriate action at the UN to address threats, such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, geoengineering, and supervolcanic eruption, in analogous fashion to existing attempts to mitigate the threats from nuclear war or near-Earth objects.

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Section: What Might Be Done To Mitigate Existential Risks?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction To Existential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction To Existential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction To Existential Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Existential Risks to Humanity Should Concern International Policymakers and More Could Be Done in Considering Them at the International Governance Level

Boyd¹,

Wilson

2020

Risk Analysis

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“…The fact that our species is so closely interdependent makes us less resistant to catastrophic and existential risks. 6 There are good reasons to go beyond the mentioned criteria of transmissibility and severity and to discuss current COVID-19 pandemic in terms of global catastrophic risk, in contrast to existential risk. Global catastrophic risk is a kind of risk which may cause global harm for the entire human population.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%