Meaning of existential risk | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A risk which could destroy or permanently damage an entity; a risk to one's existence.
   countable, uncountable
2. A hypothetical future event which could cause human extinction or permanently and severely curtail humanity's potential.
   countable, specifically, uncountable

Examples

“In an industry that relies more than anything on the appearance of total control⟳, total safety, these two crashes pose as close⟳ to an existential risk⟳ as you can get⟳.”

“I believe⟳ TSLA faces existential risk⟳ based on what is happening in the world today, and that this recent scare⟳ and economic recession will only catalyze further share⟳ price decline⟳.”

“The scenario of humanity going extinct in the next century is a disjunctive event. It could happen⟳ as a result⟳ of any of the existential risks we already know⟳ about—or some other cause which none of us foresaw.”

“But perhaps the strongest reason⟳ for judging the total existential risk⟳ within the next few centuries to be significant is the extreme magnitude of the values at stake.”

“The man often touted as the godfather of AI has quit⟳ Google, citing concerns over the flood⟳ of misinformation, the possibility for AI to upend the job market, and the “existential risk⟳” posed by the creation of a true digital intelligence.”

“So why isn’t this all over the front pages? Why, when governments know⟳ we’re facing existential risk⟳, do they fail⟳ to act?”

“Altman’s dismissal by OpenAI’s board⟳ on Friday was the culmination of a power struggle⟳ between the company’s two ideological extremes—one group born from Silicon Valley techno-optimism, energized by rapid commercialization; the other steeped in fears that AI represents an existential risk⟳ to humanity and must be controlled with extreme caution.”

CEFR level