One thing that make bioweapons truely existential risk is the possibility of multipandemic.
Each bioweapon agent could not wipe out humanity because individual differences of the people. 50 per cent mortality for all humans from one agent is good estinate and it would be great catastrophe but not x-risks.
If somehow 20 different agents with such mortality will be relized it would mean survaval 1 person from a million, and as they will be far from each other it most likely means human extinction.
The multipandemic could result from all out bioweapon war or be deliberately created as Doomsday weapon or result from quick development of cheap biolabs which will be simultaniosly availabel to large group of people. It could happene in next 10-20 years.
One thing that make bioweapons truely existential risk is the possibility of multipandemic. Each bioweapon agent could not wipe out humanity because individual differences of the people. 50 per cent mortality for all humans from one agent is good estinate and it would be great catastrophe but not x-risks. If somehow 20 different agents with such mortality will be relized it would mean survaval 1 person from a million, and as they will be far from each other it most likely means human extinction.
The multipandemic could result from all out bioweapon war or be deliberately created as Doomsday weapon or result from quick development of cheap biolabs which will be simultaniosly availabel to large group of people. It could happene in next 10-20 years.
:(
In such cases people in government bunkers and the Amazon act as reservoirs/backstops.
Unless a weapon were engineered to target crop plants instead of humans.
EDIT: or/and humans