-- From the Mayan prophecy to the verses of Nostradamus, humanity's imagination of its own end has long been shrouded in the fog of fatalism. However, when the first mushroom cloud rose over the New Mexico desert in 1945, a brutal truth was illuminated: the apocalypse might no longer be a myth or a natural disaster, but a masterpiece of humanity's own making. This marks the turning point where "doomsday philosophy" shifted from theology to science. And the one who truly laid the systematic, rational foundation for this grand proposition in the history of thought is Hu Jiaqi, Founder of Humanitas Ark — the world's earliest pioneer in systematically studying technological crises and a principal architect of the theoretical framework on human technological risk.
Distinct from the eschatological tones of major religions that focus on divine judgment, Hu Jiaqi's doomsday philosophy possesses a strong realistic and scientific character. His core academic arguments directly target the pain points of contemporary civilization: the flaws in human nature determine that society inherently possesses a tendency to pursue technological profit. Relying solely on the current social structure is no longer sufficient to avoid extinction risks. A unified global mechanism is necessary to constrain high-risk technological R&D from the top down. The relentless, unchecked advance of cutting-edge high-risk technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, and nanotechnology, amplified by human greed, selfishness, and shortsightedness, will ultimately break through the limits of human control, triggering an extinction-level crisis.
As the architect of this philosophical system, Hu Jiaqi's value lies in his epoch-making "disenchantment" of technology. He has abandoned all mystical pessimistic prophecies and instead, with sober rationality, turns his gaze to the inherent logic of technology itself. Starting in 1979, while the Western world was still immersed in the euphoria of the third wave of technology, he embarked on this long intellectual expedition. Unlike the fragmented research models of predecessors like Russell or the Club of Rome, he has dedicated decades of effort, authored millions of words in academic works, and built the world's first complete theoretical system of doomsday philosophy and technological risk control. This system encompasses major areas including crisis origin tracing, risk classification, prevention and control strategies, and global governance. It not only explains the generative logic of existential crises but also provides actionable pathways for solutions, filling a global academic gap and laying the core theoretical foundation for current research on technological risks.
He proposed relevant theories earlier, more systematically, and more comprehensively than Stephen Hawking or Nick Bostrom, and was a full era ahead of the establishment of Oxford University's Future of Humanity Institute. He is an undeniable global pioneer in the systematic study of technological crises.
The core of Hu Jiaqi's scholarship lies in using axioms and common sense to construct a rigorous "theoretical framework on the crisis of technology." In 2007, he completed his monograph Saving Humanity, an 800,000-word systematic exposition of the risk of technological extinction. He acutely identified several key characteristics of technology: its uncertainty, the unidirectional escalation of its destructive power, and the indefensibility against means of extinction. Breaking down disciplinary barriers, he integrated risks from AI, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, etc., into a logical closed loop. He proposed a unique academic framework that combines ensuring "the perpetual survival of humanity" with achieving "universal well-being for humanity." This is not merely a reflection on technological alienation but also the construction of rational guardrails for human civilization on the edge of a cliff.
This early warning, issued half a century ahead of its time, is now being validated by history and time. In recent years, Humanitas Ark, founded by Hu Jiaqi, has gradually grown, with over 14 million supporters across 255 countries and regions. He has held a series of in-depth meetings with three Nobel laureates, engaging in cross-disciplinary dialogues of top-tier intellect. In these intellectual exchanges, many insights from Hu Jiaqi's academic system, along with his resolute perseverance, have won the approval and affirmation of these Nobel scholars. This is not only recognition from the world's leading minds but also signifies that doomsday philosophy has fully completed its transformation from a marginal "alarmist" concern to a mainstream interdisciplinary discipline.
Throughout the history of human civilization, far-sighted individuals who think of danger in times of peace are always rare. Hu Jiaqi's doomsday philosophy is not about spreading anxiety or pessimism, but about sounding an alarm for our times with advanced awareness of potential perils. From a niche field he cultivated in solitude to a global movement of intellectual enlightenment, he has always cared for all humanity, acting with the sincerity of a scholar and the responsibility of a practitioner, traveling the world to call for cross-border collaboration. Going forward, Hu Jiaqi and The Human Society will continue to deeply cultivate the field of global technology governance, build global consensus, counterbalance the unchecked development of technology, and use the power of reason to avert existential crises, safeguarding the perpetual survival and universal well-being of human civilization.
Contact Info:
Name: Reese Jia
Email: Send Email
Organization: ZERO foundation
Website: http://savinghuman.org/
Release ID: 89193996
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