A panelofexpertsfromtheFutureofHumanityInstitutepublishedtheresultsof a surveyregardingtheglobalcatastrophicrisksthathumanitywillfaceinthe 21stcentury.
Theresultsofthequestionarable, surprisingandconcerningbecausetheexpertsagreethatthereis a oneinfivechanceofhumanextinctionbeforetheyear 2100 Atthe 2008 OxfordConference, participantsconsiderednanotechnology, artificialintelligenceandwartobethethreecategoriesthatweremostlikelytobringaboutsuchanevent.
Personally, theonethatkeepsmeawakeatnightistthe e unbridleddevelopmentofartificialintelligence.
Developmentofartificialintelligenceissupposedtomakelives a loteasier, butinpracticemightrepresentthebiggestexistentialthreatofall.
Whenwesee a civilizationthateffectivelydisappearswithout a recordofpreciselywhytheylefttheanswerisoftenrootedinthedevelopmentofadvancedtechnologybecauseadvancedtechnologyenables a largerpopulationtolivein a smallerarea.
Butifsomethinghappenstotheresourceisthemselves, thenyoudon't havethecapacitytosupport a populationanymore.
When I lookatanepisodelikeRomemakinganincredibledrainagesystemoutofleadpipesandtheneveryonegoesnuts, isitallthatdifferentthanhumansocietybuildingthetechnologytothepointwhereweforgetthatwe'rereallyjustpartofanecosystemthat's muchmorepowerfulthanus?
Nomatterwhatwebuild, wehave a tendencytoassumethatwecanalwaysinnovateourwayoutofthecrisisofthemoment.
There's alsonoguaranteethattechnologywillsave a civilisationwhenit's facedwiththenextdistensionthreat.
Givenhowadvancewe'vebecome, itseemsunlikelythatallofourcurrenttechnology, ourcity's architectureculture, couldeverbereducedto a giantpileofrocksand a fewcarvings.