Hey there, Elon Musk. We need to have a little talk. I understand that you're very worried about what artificial intelligence could mean for our future. In fact, just the other week you said that it's the "greatest risk we face as a civilization," an idea that has been echoed by high-profile futurists around the world. But I'm here to tell you that it's time to take a deep breath and maybe get a little perspective on A.I. for a minute, when compared to the wide array of threats we face. SEE ALSO: Via Giphy Nukes have been an existential threat since they were invented decades ago, but many experts think the risk of a nuclear war is actually higher now than it has been in many decades. Nuclear war could kill millions and alter the Earth's climate, making parts of our planet uninhabitable. According to a study looking at possible consequences of nuclear war, growing seasons for crops would shorten and temperatures on Earth would fall on average, not to mention all of the horrible health effects that would be a result of a nuclear bomb. This potential threat isn't just relegated to the Cold War or World War II either. Some U.S. officials think that North Korea might be ready to fire a nuclear weapon by next year, according to the Washington Post. "The U.S. projection closely mirrors revised predictions by South Korean intelligence officials, who also have watched with growing alarm as North Korea has appeared to master key technologies needed to loft a warhead toward targets thousands of miles away," the Post said. Pandemic According to a 2016 report, outbreaks of infectious diseases in the future pose a major risk to human life and world economies. “We have neglected this dimension of global security,” Peter Sands, the chair of the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future, which authored the report, said in a statement. “Pandemics don’t respect national boundaries, so we have a common interest in strengthening our defenses against infectious diseases in every part of the world," he said. "Preventing and preparing for potentially catastrophic pandemics is far more effective -- and ultimately, far less expensive -- than reacting to them when they occur, which they will.” Infectious diseases like H1N1, MERS, SARS, and Ebola have all seen outbreaks in the past two decades, and if countries worldwide don't start investing in infrastructure to combat them, according to the commission, devastating pandemics could run rampant in the future. "The Commission recommended an investment of approximately $4.5 billion per year – which equates to 65 cents per person – to enhance prevention, detection, and preparedness," the statement said. "The biggest component of this investment is to upgrade public health infrastructure and capabilities for low- and middle-income-countries, which is estimated to cost up to $3.4 billion per year." Inequality and oppression