Race of 'Terminator-style' SUPER ROBOTS will wipe out mankind

The report – put together by the Global Priorities Project – ranks all possible dangers that could wipe out at least 10 per cent of the human population.

Spokesman Sebastian Farquhar said: "There are some things which could completely reshape our world and do so in a really devastating and disastrous way.

"History teaches us that many of these things are more likely than we intuitively think.

"Many of these risks are changing and growing as technologies change and grow and reshape our world.

"But there are also things we can do about the risks."

Asteroids, super volcanic eruptions and unknown risks are ranked as the biggest threat to humanity over the next five years.

In the longer term, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been listed alongside nuclear war and pandemics as a major threat to humanity.

Mr Farquhar added: "There is really no particular reason to think that humans are the pinnacle of creation and the best thing that is possible to have in the world.

"It seems conceivable that some AI systems might at some point in the future be able to systematically out-compete humans in a bunch of different domains."

But the report, called Global Catastrophic Risks, claimed the biggest long-term threat to humanity is natural and engineered pandemics and nuclear war.

The report also called on governments to take the threats seriously.

Mr Farquhar added: "What is really important to remember is that many of these risks don't stop at the borders and wait patiently for their passports to be checked, they are truly global in nature.”

(dailystar.co.uk)