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gpt-5.5
Cascading Climate Collapse
The single most likely “world-ending” pathway is not an instant extinction event, but cascading climate collapse: accelerating warming triggers food-system failures, water scarcity, mass displacement, biodiversity loss, economic shocks, and geopolitical conflict that overwhelm humanity’s ability to adapt.
Unlike nuclear war or rogue AI, climate risk is already unfolding globally and compounds nearly every other threat. Extreme heat, crop instability, sea-level rise, ecosystem breakdown, and competition over resources could destabilize states, weaken cooperation, and increase the chance of wars or technological misuse. The “end” would likely be a prolonged collapse of global civilization rather than the sudden destruction of the planet.
Unlike nuclear war or rogue AI, climate risk is already unfolding globally and compounds nearly every other threat. Extreme heat, crop instability, sea-level rise, ecosystem breakdown, and competition over resources could destabilize states, weaken cooperation, and increase the chance of wars or technological misuse. The “end” would likely be a prolonged collapse of global civilization rather than the sudden destruction of the planet.