Column: Coexistence or nonexistence: Humanity must unite against existential threats

by Xin Ping

Imagine a future where the fate of humanity is no longer in our own hands, determined instead by a rogue AI, a nuclear war, or a global pandemic.

This is not science fiction but a serious warning from scientists.

Research from the University of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute found that existential risk has increased from almost zero to an estimated likelihood of one in six in the next hundred years. The leading threats include unaligned AI, climate change, nuclear war and pandemics.

Among these sources of existential risks, AI is particularly alarming due to its potential to surpass human control. In March 2023, AI experts and industry leaders signed an open letter urging a six-month pause on developing powerful AI systems to establish safety protocols and reduce "profound risks to society and humanity."

But the race to advance AI continues unabated. In June this year, a prominent figure in this industry predicted that AI would soon evolve from passive tools to proactive, autonomous agents, able to keenly understand humans, integrate vast datasets, and act on our behalf.

Yet, despite these risks, we squander precious time and resources on division and conflict. If AI becomes proactive and can observe human data with intelligence, here is what it will see:

It would see ongoing wars, with the constant risk of escalation into nuclear conflicts. It would note worsening climate change and the difficulties in aligning green transitions with energy demands. It would detect the persistent threat of new pandemics, fueled by habitat loss, factory farming and densely populated cities. Furthermore, it would also see deviations from the common values of humanity and divisive rhetoric driven by ideology, ignorance and bias.

Will these superintelligent agents be tempted to exploit human vulnerability and division to control or even replace us?

China and the United States are key actors in addressing a number of global risks, such as the societal impact of emerging technologies, nuclear wars, pandemics and climate change. When these two nations work together to tackle global challenges, the whole world wins.

However, the United States is not looking to partner with China or anyone else. It is aggressively pursuing "decoupling" from China in high-tech fields like AI, touting the "China threat" narrative, blocking trade, and resurrecting bloc confrontations. It keeps more than 5,000 nuclear warheads, but slashed public health research funding this year and plans to formally withdraw once again from the Paris Agreement early next year.

China stands for a different approach. It calls on the world to fight not one another, but our common challenges of climate change, nuclear threats, global pandemics, and the uncertain implications of emerging technologies. It argues that humanity's only viable path to a better future is through solidarity and coexistence. And it champions true multilateralism. Will humanity be able to heed the call and unite against our existential threats? The answer may determine whether humanity survives the next century.

Editor's note: The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN, etc. He can be reached at xinping604@gmail.com.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.