When will humans go extinct?

Humans can bring on their own demise or become their own saviors

Sign saying extinct equals forever.
"Whether we're headed toward utopia or dystopia – or something in between – will rest on the decisions humanity makes over the next few years."
(Image credit: Rob Pinney / Getty Images)

Life on Earth has reached its sixth mass extinction, which is "usually defined as about 75% of the world's species being lost in a short period of geological time," according to the Natural History Museum. While the previous mass extinctions came about due to natural causes, Forbes reported, "this is the first mass extinction event that is the result of the actions of just one species — humans."

Many of the extinctions are due to various ecological problems caused by climate change and pollution. With the human footprint on extinction, experts have debated whether we will cause our own demise in the near future as well, given the threats of climate change as well as artificial intelligence and nuclear power, all of which have been shown to have potentially catastrophic impacts.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.