Existential risk refers to any event or series of events that could cause the irreversible destruction of humanity's potential, either by leading to human extinction or by dramatically and permanently curtailing our future development. The term encompasses both natural and anthropogenic threats, including but not limited to, runaway artificial intelligence, nuclear war, catastrophic climate change, biotechnological misadventures, and self-replicating nanotechnology. These risks demand urgent and comprehensive attention because their realization represents the loss of not just millions of lives, but the annihilation of all possible future lives and achievements. Addressing existential risks effectively requires unprecedented levels of global collaboration, systemic thinking, and preventive measures, pooling multidisciplinary insights to ensure the long-term flourishing of humanity and the biosphere.

See also: catastrophic risk, existential threat, nuclear weapon, permaculture, mutually assured destruction