Existential Risk

Three  trends enhance the probability of global catastrophes ,    First, the rising global population, more demanding of energy and resources, leads to novel anthropogenic pressures on the biosphere -- climate change, loss of biodiversity, etc .    Second, the greater interconnectedness of our civilisation allows pandemics to rapidly cascade globally, and enhances our vulnerability to breakdown in supply chains, financial networks, etc .    Third, novel technologies -- bio, cyber and AI -- empower small groups with the ability (via error or terror) to cause massive (even global) disruption. Coping with this threat presents a challenge to governance: it will become ever harder to sustain the three goals of offering all citizens privacy, security and freedom.