AI misuse and nuclear famine could threaten humanity's survival before 2100
The fate of global health does not rest on any single disease. True preparedness means pairing the fight against illness with strength in finance, climate, defense and security. The COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the world to a standstill at the start of the decade, showed that containing and neutralizing a disease is only one part of being prepared.
A recent Lancet Commission has identified 17 global health threats that could affect humanity's survival from 2025 to 2100. The two most serious threats, which carry the potential for human extinction before the century ends, are malicious use of artificial intelligence and severe nuclear conflict leading to a global famine. Other major catastrophic risks include air pollution, antimicrobial resistance, and climate change, each expected to cause more than one billion disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of health loss by 2100.
Obesity and related diet and lifestyle factors are the largest preventable health burden, with 23.1 billion healthy life-years at stake between worst and best scenarios. The study recommends long-term preparedness, preventive tools, and annual risk monitoring to address these threats.
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