Contemporary visions of the next apocalypse: Climate change and artificial intelligence.

This article examines how apocalyptic eschatologies—rooted primarily in ancient Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions—shape contemporary societal responses to complex global challenges, specifically climate change and artificial intelligence (AI). It argues that apocalyptic narratives provide a symbolic script that moralizes the present, legitimizes political action, and motivates resource allocation by portraying a future catastrophe as inevitable yet avoidable through current intervention. While these narratives effectively mobilize public and political engagement, they also risk oversimplifying complex causalities, marginalizing alternative futures, and fostering ritualistic rather than explanatory approaches to pressing issues. The article highlights that both climate change and AI discourses adopt apocalyptic frameworks that influence societal expectations and actions but may constrain nuanced understanding and flexible responses to these multifaceted phenomena.