What do you get when you mix Huw Price the Bertrand Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge, Martin Rees (59th President of the Royal Society) Professor of Cosmology & Astrophysics at Cambridge and Jaan Tallinn the co-founder of Skype? Answer: The Cambridge Project for Existential Risk.

Their remit – assess the threat from progress in AI, biotechnology, artificial life, nanotechnology and anything else we may invent in the future. They want to ascertain the extent to which these (and others) may present a threat to the future of human existence. Some examples of their thinking can be found in this essay.

Having more intellectual horsepower than most mere mortals can even conceive they wish to harness a small fraction of the intellectual resource of Cambridge University to improve the odds that the human race might continue its tenure of this planet.

They are currently developing the prospectus for a Centre for the Study of Existential Risk. No information as yet on any special scientific advisors in blue boxes or funding from Torchwood but you never know.

More news as it emerges.

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