The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity

The Precipice examines existential risks to humanity and argues that protecting our future is the central challenge of our time. If humanity survives and flourishes, our species could exist for billions of years, ending disease, poverty, and injustice. However, this potential future faces serious threats. Since the development of nuclear weapons, humanity has confronted existential catastrophes—events from which recovery would be impossible. These dangers have expanded to include climate change, engineered pathogens, and artificial intelligence. Without swift action to reach safety, it may soon be too late. Drawing on over a decade of research, the book explores the science behind these risks and places them within humanity's broader history. It frames ending these risks as a pressing moral issue and outlines actions and strategies to safeguard humanity's future. Toby Ord, an Oxford philosopher who has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister's Office, and the World Bank, offers a reassessment of human history and the steps necessary to ensure humanity's survival.