Copyright

Gorm E. Shackelford; Luke Kemp; Catherine Rhodes; Lalitha Sundaram; Seán S. ÓhÉigeartaigh; SJ Beard; Haydn Belfield; Julius Weitzdörfer; Shahar Avin; Dag Sørebø; Elliot M. Jones; John B. Hume; David Price; David Pyle; Daniel Hurt; Theodore Stone; Harry Watkins; Lydia Collas; Bryony C. Cade; Thomas Frederick Johnson; Zachary Freitas-Groff; David Denkenberger; Michael Levot; William J. Sutherland

Published On

2024-09-03

Page Range

pp. 307–328

Language

  • English

Print Length

22 pages

9. Accumulating Evidence Using Crowdsourcing and Machine Learning

A Living Bibliography About Existential Risk and Global Catastrophic Risk

Chapter of: An Anthology of Global Risk(pp. 307–328)
Focusing on the study of existential risk, this chapter shows how academic research publications can be systematically reviewed using semi-automated processes such as crowdsourcing and machine learning. These publications can then be accumulated in an open-access database, if relevant, forming a reusable evidence base for policy and risk analysis. The authors use The Existential Risk Research Assessment (TERRA), a living bibliography about existential risk, as an example of the semi-automated processes in action, noting the successes and challenges of such a semi-automated tool. This chapter allows for speculation concerning the future of a publication base like TERRA and the authors encourage readers themselves to participate in TERRA, to contribute to a bigger and better future bibliography.

Contributors

Gorm Shackleford

(author)
Former Research Associate at Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

Gorm Shackleford is a former Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk.

Luke Kemp

(author)

Luke Kemp is a Faculty Fellow at the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Studies.

Catherine Rhodes

(author)
Head of Operations and Engagement (SPRITE+) at University of Manchester

Catherine Rhodes is the Head of Operations and Engagement (SPRITE+), University of Manchester.

Lalitha Sundaram

(author)
Senior Research Associate at Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

Lalitha S. Sundaram is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk who works in the area of bio-risk, with a particular emphasis on regulation and governance. She investigates risks—real or perceived—surrounding emerging biotechnologies such as synthetic biology and their convergence with artificial intelligence. Before joining CSER, Lalitha worked within the University of Cambridge and Edinburgh’s Arsenic Biosensor Collaboration where she developed strategy to take this novel synthetic biology product from bench to field, focusing regulation and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Following this, she held a fellowship at King’s College London investigating the opportunities and challenges facing emerging biotechnologies seeking to tackle global health challenges. Lalitha’s PhD research, also at the University of Cambridge, used a combination of bioinformatic, next-generation sequencing and molecular biology tools to explore host-cell metabolic and microRNA changes following infection by the pathogenic parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

Seán S. Ó hÉigeartaigh

(author)

Seán S. Ó hÉigeartaigh is the Programme Director of AI: Futures and Responsibility at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence.

SJ Beard

(author)
Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

SJ Beard is a Senior Research Associate and Academic Programme Manager at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, an Associated Researcher at the Institute for Futures Studies and an AHRC/BBC New Generation Thinker. SJ Beard works on the Evaluation of Extreme Technological Risks, and other ethical problems with ensuring a long term future for humanity. They also have a wide range of skills and experiences producing high quality research, training and analysis across education and public affairs.

Haydn Belfield

(author)

Julius Weitzdörfer

(author)
Professor of Japanese Studies and East Asian Law at University of Hagen

Julius Weitzdörfer is a Professor of Japanese Studies and East Asian Law at FernUniversität Hagen.

Shahar Avin

(author)
Senior Research Associate at Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

Shahar Avin is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

Dag Sørebø

(author)

Elliot M. Jones

(author)

John B. Hume

(author)

David Price

(author)

David Pyle

(author)

Daniel Hurt

(author)

Theodore Stone

(author)

Harry Watkins

(author)

Lydia Collas

(author)

Bryony C. Cade

(author)

Thomas Frederick Johnson

(author)

Zachary Freitas-Grof

(author)

David Denkenberger

(author)

Michael Levot

(author)

William J. Sutherland

(author)
Director of Research at University of Cambridge

William J. Sutherland is the Director of Research at the University of Cambridge Department of Zoology.