This important and eye-opening book argues that safeguarding humanity's future is the most pressing issue of our time.
If all goes according to plan, human history will only be beginning. Our species has the potential to live for billions of years, long enough to eradicate sickness, poverty, and injustice, as well as flourish in ways that are currently unfathomable. However, this bright future is in jeopardy. With the introduction of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new era in which we are confronted with existential catastrophes - ones from which we would never be able to recover. From climate change to modified germs and artificial intelligence, the threats have only grown since then. It will be too late if we do not act quickly to reach a safe location.
The Precipice delves into the cutting-edge science underpinning the threats we face, based on more than a decade of research. It places them in the context of humanity's larger story, demonstrating how averting these dangers is one of the most serious moral challenges of our day. It also shows the road forward, pointing to the activities and tactics that can protect humanity. Toby Ord, an Oxford philosopher dedicated to putting ideas into action, has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister's Office, and the World Bank on some of humanity's most pressing issues. He delivers a sobering reappraisal of human history, the future we are failing to protect, and the steps we must take to guarantee that we are not the final generation in The Precipice.
With the detonation of the first atomic bomb, a new age of humanity began. 42 At that moment, our rapidly accelerating technological power finally reached the threshold where we might be able to destroy ourselves.
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