We’re living through a period of enormous uncertainty. Great power tensions are rising, from the US and China to Russia and Europe. The climate is warming, bringing more extreme heat, floods and disruption. And AI is developing at a pace that has left even the people building these systems debating where all of this could ultimately lead.

And perhaps what makes all three particularly frightening is that they’re no longer just science fiction. These are real developments happening right now, and they raise very real existential questions on the future of humanity.

So, are these genuinely existential threats? How worried should we be? 

In this conversation, we discuss: 

Are we sleepwalking into World War Three?
Rising tensions between major powers, particularly the US, China and Russia, and the danger that a conflict could escalate through miscalculation or momentum rather than deliberate intent.

Is the decline of US hegemony making the world more dangerous?
Challenging the idea that a multipolar world automatically means a more balanced world, and that the decline of a dominant power could instead produce renewed great-power rivalry and competition over spheres of influence.

Can diplomacy and international institutions prevent catastrophe?
The role of the UN, diplomats, and multilateral institutions in navigating global conflicts, alongside the question of whether the existing international order is still capable of containing conflicts as global power shifts.

The climate crisis may be the most immediate existential threat.
Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and potential cascading crises such as food failures and mass displacement severely impact the Global South, despite having contributed much less to historical emissions.

Is AI really the threat — or is it who controls AI?
Rather than focusing only on the “AI takes over humanity” scenario, we dissect ownership, capitalism, automation, and inequality. If AI dramatically increases productivity, who actually benefits? Will AI liberate people from work, or simply give more power to those who own the technology?

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