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TED-Ed

The 4 greatest threats to the survival of humanity

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6,759 Questions Answered

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With the invention of the atomic bomb, humanity gained the power to destroy itself for the first time in our history. Since then, our risk of either extinction or the collapse of civilization has steadily increased. Just how likely are we to destroy ourselves? And what poses the greatest threat to our survival? Dig into four existential threats and explore how we can safeguard our future.

Additional Resources for you to Explore

To learn more about the existential risks of our time and how we can prevent them, read The Precipice by philosopher Toby Ord. Read the academic papers Existential Risk Prevention as Global Priority and Existential Risks by Nick Bostrom. The book Human Compatible by Stuart Russell is a deep dive into the potential threat posed by superintelligent AI. Visit University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute to find more academic research on this topic.

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Meet The Creators

Director
Reza Riahi
Script Writer
Elizabeth Cox
Narrator
Bethany Cutmore-Scott
Storyboard Artist
Reza Riahi
Animator
Mehdi Shiri, Audrey Chevrolle
Art Director
Reza Riahi
Music
André Aires
Sound Designer
André Aires
Director of Production
Gerta Xhelo
Producer
Anna Bechtol
Associate Producer
Sazia Afrin
Editorial Director
Alex Rosenthal
Editorial Producer
Elizabeth Cox
Fact-Checker
Jennifer Nam

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