The Lancet assessment: malicious AI use or nuclear war could cause human extinction before 2100

The Lancet Commission on 21st-Century Global Health Threats released a global risk assessment, ranking malicious AI use (including biological weapons) and nuclear conflict as the top of 17 major health threats, stating that both pose a risk of human extinction within the next 75 years. Although the likelihood is low, nuclear conflict could trigger famine by injecting particles into the upper atmosphere to block sunlight, while AI could be used to create biological weapons. The report models using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and a sharp reduction in international health aid could lead to a loss of up to 1.5 billion DALYs by 2100, with nearly 70% concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa.