Existential Risks
Last updated: September 22, 2024
Existential risks are events that could potentially, by their immediate or long-term effects, lead to the end of humans and/or life of planet Earth. Serious research is being conducted on this topic at several universities, including at the Future of Humanity Institute in Oxford, and the Centre for the Study of Existential Risks in Cambridge.
The scenarios most often considered involve nanotechnology, superintelligent AI, wars, pandemics, nuclear power, and terrorism. At Five Books, we try to interview as many experts as possible on those important issues, but also sometimes cover them from the angle of fiction, by discussing apocalyptic novels, or even zombies; Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road is often recommended.
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Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence
by Kate Crawford -
2
The Ethical Algorithm: The Science of Socially Aware Algorithm Design
by Aaron Roth & Michael Kearns -
3
Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control
by Stuart Russell -
4
The Technological Singularity
by Murray Shanahan -
5
Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right From Wrong
by Wendell Wallach and Colin Allen -
6
2001: A Space Odyssey
by Arthur C. Clarke
Ethics for Artificial Intelligence Books, recommended by Paula Boddington
Ethics for Artificial Intelligence Books, recommended by Paula Boddington
Advances in artificial intelligence pose a myriad of ethical questions, but the most incisive thinking on this subject says more about humans than it does about machines, says Paula Boddington, philosopher and author of a recent AI ethics textbook. We first spoke to Paula in 2017—a long time ago in a fast-moving field. This week we caught up with her to find out what’s happened since then and which new books have taken the conversation over ethics and AI further.
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1
Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History
by David Christian -
2
Origins: How The Earth Made Us
by Lewis Dartnell -
3
The Five Ages of the Universe: Inside the Physics of Eternity
by Fred Adams & Gregory Laughlin -
4
Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
by Carl Sagan -
5
Diaspora
by Greg Egan
The best books on Big History, recommended by Toby Ord
The best books on Big History, recommended by Toby Ord
‘Big history’ looks at history on the timescale of the Earth and the universe, rather than just the short period of time that humanity has been around. Here, Toby Ord, a moral philosopher at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute, recommends books to get a handle on it, and explains why now is a critical time for Homo sapiens.
The best books on Existential Risks, recommended by The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk
In the rapidly-emerging field of existential risks, researchers study the mitigation of threats that could lead to human extinction or civilisational collapse. We met with four researchers from The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, to discuss their recommendations of the best books to get a grasp of this dense subject.
The best books on War, recommended by Cécile Fabre
If killing is wrong, how can going to war be justified? Is it always wrong to kill civilians? If a Nazi soldier were billeted in your home, should you respond when he greets you? Philosopher Cécile Fabre chooses Five Books that help explore the profound ethical dilemmas of war.
The best books on Zombies, recommended by Greg Garrett
Zombies have returned with a vengeance in recent years, the secret to their undying popularity lying in their ability to embody many different kinds of menace, from social unrest to pandemics, financial insecurity to international terrorism. Greg Garrett, author of Living with the Living Dead, recommends five books to help you prepare for the zombie apocalypse
The best books on Drone Warfare, recommended by Hugh Gusterson
The introduction of drones “makes possible perpetual war without costs”, warns the anthropology professor and security expert Hugh Gusterson. Here he selects the best books that examine their ethical, psychological and political impact upon 21st century warfare.
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1
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
by Siddhartha Mukherjee -
2
Thunderstruck
by Erik Larson -
3
Moneyball
by Michael Lewis -
4
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Sam Kean -
5
Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation
by Dan Fagin
The best books on Radiation, recommended by Timothy J. Jorgensen
The best books on Radiation, recommended by Timothy J. Jorgensen
Public understanding of radiation needs to improve if people are to properly assess its benefits and risks argues author and academic, Timothy Jorgensen. From the discovery of radio to a cancer cluster in New Jersey, he chooses highly readable books illuminating different aspects of radiation.
The best books on World War III, recommended by P W Singer and August Cole
What will the next global conflict look like? Two of America’s leading defence experts, P W Singer and August Cole, turned to science fiction to explore the prospect of a future war, and how existing technology might be used in one. Here, they choose five novels depicting a fictional World War Three that served as inspiration.
The best books on Artificial Intelligence, recommended by Calum Chace
It could lead us all to immortality or spell the end of the human race. Author Calum Chace picks the best books on Artificial Intelligence or AI.
The best books on Extinction and De-Extinction, recommended by Beth Shapiro
Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro tells us why it’s impossible to clone a mammoth, and why we might want to. She guides us through five inspiring books to get us thinking about extinction and the role genetics could potentially play in maintaining biodiversity.