Nuclear war and the malicious use of artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity by 2100, a major new health report warns.

The Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health listed 17 major threats to human health over the next 75 years, The Guardian reported. The two that carry a risk of human extinction are AI misuse, including AI-made biological weapons, and nuclear conflict.

The commission of 35 experts said those two risks are unlikely but would be catastrophic, IBTimes Singapore reported. A nuclear war could throw enough soot into the upper atmosphere to block sunlight and cause a global "nuclear famine."

An editorial in The Lancet warned: "The scale of harm, should they be realised, would inflict an apocalypse on humanity."

Other "major catastrophic threats" include air pollution, antimicrobial resistance, childhood malnutrition, climate breakdown, conventional war and declining foreign aid from wealthy countries.

The experts measured each threat by how many years of healthy life could be lost to illness, disability and early death. That measure is called disability-adjusted life years.

The commission said the threats are linked and must be tackled together. But it stressed there is "a realistic route to act" on each one.

"Decisions made by leaders today will shape the health and wellbeing of the next generation," said Prof. Christopher Murray, a co-chair and director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

The report was launched at the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin, Bioengineer.org reported. It is aimed at leaders in health, finance, climate, defense and security.

What we know: the commission ranks AI misuse and nuclear war among the top threats to humanity.
What we don't: whether governments will act on any of its recommendations.