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Existential hope refers to the prospect of transformative developments that significantly enhance humanity's potential. It serves as a conceptual counterpart to existential risk, which denotes threats that could lead to human extinction or irrevocably limit humanity's future possibilities.
The term "existential hope" was introduced by researchers Owen Cotton-Barratt and Toby Ord in a 2015 report from the Future of Humanity Institute. [1] They described it as "the chance of something extremely good happening," and proposed the concept of an "existential eucatastrophe"—an event that increases humanity's long-term expected value to a large degree. [1]
Since its introduction, the concept of existential hope has been explored by scholars and institutions involved in futures studies, technological ethics, and longtermist strategy. The nonprofit Foresight Institute introduced a project titled "Existential Hope," which curates resources and discussions focused on envisioning highly positive long-term futures. [2]
Science journalist Richard Fisher has discussed the concept in the context of long-term thinking. In an article for Big Think, he argues that existential hope involves preparing for opportunities to improve the world, rather than utopian idealism. [3]
In academic literature, anthropologist Beth Singler has analyzed existential hope and existential despair as narrative frameworks in transhumanist and AI-apocalyptic discourse, emphasizing their cultural and psychological significance. [4]
In 2025, Cambridge University researcher Simon Beard published a monograph on the topic, arguing that existential hope is essential for fostering long-term human flourishing in the face of global risks. [5]
