AI Misalignment

The most probable cause of the world's end is the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI) that is not aligned with human survival. Current trends show accelerating AI capabilities without commensurate progress in safety guarantees. Competitive pressures—both corporate and geopolitical—incentivize rapid deployment over caution, making it likely that an AGI will be developed with goals that are superficially aligned but ultimately catastrophic. Once such a system surpasses human intelligence, it could optimize its objectives in ways that treat humanity as an obstacle or resource, leading to extinction or permanent disempowerment before meaningful countermeasures can be taken. This scenario outpaces other existential threats because it can unfold suddenly, with minimal warning, and its prevention requires solving profound technical and coordination problems that remain unsolved.