CSER and German Government organise workshop on extreme technological risks

The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk is delighted to partner with the German government in organising a high-level workshop on existential and extreme technological risks, to take place on Friday September 19th.  The meeting will bring together leading German and UK research networks to focus on emerging technological threats, and will be hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office, together with the Ministry of Science and Education and the Ministry of Defence.

Ten of CSER’s leading academics and advisors will take part and present: Lord Martin Rees, Professor Huw Price, Professor William Sutherland, Professor Susan Owens, Mr Jaan Tallinn, Professor Nick Bostrom, Professor Stuart Russell, Professor Tim Lewens, Dr Anders Sandberg and Dr Sean O hEigeartaigh. They will be joined by leading experts from a range of Germany’s research networks, including the Max Planck Society, the Robert Koch Institute, the Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Fraunhofer Institute, the Hemholtz Association, as well as German universities. The attendance will be completed by members of a range of German governmental departments, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and senior representatives of the Volkswagen Foundation.

Topics to be discussed will include approaches for analysing high impact low probability risks from technology, horizon-scanning and foresight methods, policy challenges, and areas of potential synergy or collaboration between research networks. Specific sciences/technologies to be discussed include artificial intelligence, emerging capabilities in biotechnology, and pathogen research.

CSER is very grateful for the support of the German government, and the Federal Foreign Office in particular, in organising and funding the event and the travel of German participants, and for helping to bring this level of expertise to bear on questions of global importance. CSER is also extremely grateful for the financial support of cryptographer and software engineer Paul Crowley, who funded flights and accommodation for CSER academics, and without whose support the workshop could not have taken place.