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A review by arthurbr
The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity by Toby Ord
4.0
I used to be quite skeptical about existential risks and catastrophes that might end human civilizations as we know it, but this book helped me see it in another perspective.
I always knew there was a chance that AI might be misaligned and work against rather than for us, but I did not quite manage to see it as a realistic scenario. I always knew climate change was bad and would have severe effects and lead to the loss of many human lives, but I did not think about how it is a self-reinforcing cycle that will lead to much more destruction than I first thought.
I knew existential risks were present and might lead to the end of the human species, but I always found it significantly more pressing to help those who suffer today (for instance through malaria interventions), than to work on reducing the impact and likelihood of those existential risks. Now, I am not so sure anymore, and I definitely want to have a more balanced approach and work towards both causes rather than put X-risks on the backburner.
I always knew there was a chance that AI might be misaligned and work against rather than for us, but I did not quite manage to see it as a realistic scenario. I always knew climate change was bad and would have severe effects and lead to the loss of many human lives, but I did not think about how it is a self-reinforcing cycle that will lead to much more destruction than I first thought.
I knew existential risks were present and might lead to the end of the human species, but I always found it significantly more pressing to help those who suffer today (for instance through malaria interventions), than to work on reducing the impact and likelihood of those existential risks. Now, I am not so sure anymore, and I definitely want to have a more balanced approach and work towards both causes rather than put X-risks on the backburner.