Top 10 threats to humanity posed by technology

7. Robot butlers turn wild

The dream of robot butlers has been around for years - just look at The Jetsons. The writers envisioned us living in space with tin man companions to serve our every whim.

However, as we all know well through stories like I, Robot, robots would only ever be watching us to learn our weaknesses and slowly build up their strategy for the takeover of the universe, as well documented by The Flight of the Conchords in their chilling tale of automaton annihilation Robots.

So, we must always remain vigilant as scientists' continue to fine-tune their developments of robotic pals to make us dinner and ask ourselves, just how lazy are we prepared to become at the risk of opening up humanity to enslavement from the robotic butlers? Perhaps we should make our own tea.

6. Nanobots eat everything

While the idea of robots similar to us in size and look is more visually terrifying, a smaller, far harder to stop threat could cause humanity's end - self-replicating nanobots.

The fear is that these little monsters would be able to self-replicate by devouring common substances, such as carbon - of which we are mostly based. The theory is commonly known as Grey Goo, or more scientifically as ecophagy (literally, "eating the environment") and has been used in novels as a plot device.

Clearly stopping tiny robots able to destroy the environment would be almost impossible, and yet as we delve ever further into the world of nano-sized technology are we about to unleash our own demise?

5. Global warming increased by tech manufacturing

Technology uses a lot of power: there's datacentres around the world running non-stop and huge manufacturing facilities churning out devices and gadgets all day long, fuelling our rampant desires for fuels.

This is having an affect on the planet - it's hard to say how much but most evidence shows it's there, and the worrying thing is it's hard to stop once you get used to a certain way of living. Tech may not be the only cause but it's as guilty as anyone.

This is why the Cambridge centre has made global warming one of its four main threats facing humanity, alongside artificial intelligence, biotechnology and warfare, which we've already documented with chilling visions of the apocalypse above. But there's plenty more terrors to come...