Famous former Nobel laureate physicist David Gross has made a chilling prediction about when humanity could face total destruction. In his statement, he drew attention to many dangers that could lead to the destruction of our world. If we don’t learn, a global catastrophe could occur much sooner than expected, he said.
- Physicist David Gross estimates that humanity has about 35 years left.
- He claims that the risk of nuclear war has increased significantly.
- According to him, there is a one-in-fifty chance that a nuclear meltdown will occur every year.
- The expert also drew attention to the use of artificial intelligence in critical military systems.
David Gross is an American theoretical physicist and expert in string theory who won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics together with Frank Wilczek and Hugh David Politzer. During a recent discussion, the expert was asked if humanity will be any closer to achieving a “unified theory of everything” in the next 50 years. His answer surprised everyone because it involved a potentially bleak future.
Instead, the physicist pointed to the terrifying consequences of a nuclear conflict and the unstoppable rise of artificial intelligence. “At the moment I spend my time trying to explain to people that the chance of surviving another 50 years is very small. I believe we have about 35 years left due to the threat of nuclear war“, he stated.
Although this is a rough estimate, Gross suggested that a global catastrophe could occur as early as 2061. “Even after the end of the Cold War, when we had strategic arms control treaties, it was assumed that there was a one percent chance of nuclear war breaking out every year. In the last 30 years, the situation has gotten significantly worse. I estimate that this chance is currently closer to two percent. So every year there is a 1 in 50 chance of a nuclear meltdown“, he stated.
Asked what could be done to reduce the risk, Gross emphasized the need for international dialogue. He noted that the collapse of the nuclear treaties increased global instability, while he referred in particular to the ongoing geopolitical conflicts, including the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the tensions between the United States, Israel and Iran.
The physicist believes that in a few years there could be a nuclear war. (illustrative photo)
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Gross further warned of the consequences that new technologies bring. He said weapons systems are becoming more advanced and unpredictable. He identified automation with the help of artificial intelligence as a huge risk factor, which could soon be introduced even in the management of critical military systems. “The speed at which AI works can create dangerous situations, especially when quick decisions are needed“, he added.
In the debate, he described a hypothetical situation in which a leader would have only 20 minutes to decide whether to launch a nuclear attack. “I fear that military officials may find it more prudent to leave such decisions to artificial intelligence. The problem is that it can produce unreliable outputs,” he concluded, adding that these technologies are human creations and therefore something that humanity ultimately has the power to eliminate.
