The Precipice

Summary

From one of the world’s leading moral voices, this urgent and eye-opening book makes the case that
protecting humanity’s future is the central challenge of our time.
If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years—enough time to
end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today. But this vast future is at risk. With the
advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, where we face existential catastrophes—those from which we
could never come back. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pathogens
and unaligned artificial intelligence. If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it will soon be too late.
Drawing on over a decade of research, The Precipice explores the cutting-edge science behind the risks we face. It
puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity, showing how ending these risks is among the most pressing
moral issues of our time. And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies that can safeguard humanity.
An Oxford philosopher committed to putting ideas into action, Toby Ord has advised the US National Intelligence
Council, the UK Prime Minister’s Office, and the World Bank on the greatest challenges facing humanity. In The
Precipice, he offers a startling reassessment of human history, the future we are failing to protect, and the steps we must
take to ensure that our generation is not the last.