Reducing Global Catastrophic Biological Risks

This guide defines global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRs) as “risks that threaten great worldwide damage to human welfare, and place the long-term trajectory of humankind in jeopardy… [and are] broadly biological in nature”. The author then analyzes historical, current, and potential biological risks (e.g., The Black Death, horsepox, etc.) and argues that some historical biological risks such as the Black Death aren’t GCBRs because “although afflicting a large part of humanity, [they] left another large part unscathed”. He also notes that, beyond naturally occurring viruses, “‘Artificial’ GCBRs are a category of increasing concern, owed to advancing biotechnological capacity alongside the increasing risk of its misuse.”