The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens Existential Risks: The Biggest Threats to Life as We Know It with Luke Kemp
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Dec 4, 2024 
In this enlightening discussion, Luke Kemp, a Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, dives into the fragile nature of our societal systems. He explores pressing threats like nuclear war and climate change and how human biases shape our understanding of existential risks. Kemp emphasizes the need for inclusive institutions and collective action to foster resilience. Additionally, he highlights the complexities of technology's role, particularly AI, in exacerbating these risks and the importance of informed discourse in sustaining societal stability.
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Defining Existential Risk
- Existential risk (X-risk) encompasses human extinction, societal collapse, and dystopian futures.
- It considers threats, vulnerabilities, responses, and exposure, using climate change as an example.
Categories of X-risks
- Besides climate change, major X-risks include AI, nuclear war, and engineered pandemics.
- Natural risks like asteroids also fall under this category, influenced by societal vulnerability.
Techno-optimism and X-risk
- Technological optimism drives X-risk by developing hazardous technologies while hindering regulation.
- Tech developers, while acknowledging the dangers, often lobby against mitigating measures.
