Reducing global catastrophic biological risks

Abstract

This article discusses the Global Catastrophic Biological Risks (GCBR), with a particular focus on pandemics with the potential to cause more than a hundred million fatalities, or alternative pathways, such as organisms or molecules that cause widespread negative effects on fertility. The article argues that pandemics on this scale are likely to have significant cascading system failures that could further exacerbate the severity of the event, and also that engineered pathogens may pose a higher risk of causing a GCBR than a natural outbreak. The article concludes by underscoring the need for practical, concrete steps for risk reduction, particularly in areas such as diagnostic tools and broad-spectrum antivirals. – AI-generated abstract.