J. Robert Oppenheimer's Grandson Advocates Global Cooperation to Manage AI

Artificial intelligence, climate change and nuclear annihilation are just a few issues facing the human race ... and we've got no chance against them unless we work together -- at least according to J. Robert Oppenheimer's grandson.

Charles Oppenheimer ... founder of The Oppenheimer Project -- a nonprofit working toward creating a safer future as technology rapidly changes -- joined us on TMZ Live Friday to answer some of the biggest questions of our time.

When asked about the grim prospect of rogue AI, global warming and nukes ... Charles said it's easy to feel despair -- but he's choosing to stay hopeful instead, promoting cooperation between people on opposite sides of the issues.

The way Charles sees it ... we don't have to agree on everything, but we gotta come together on the big stuff to avoid massive extinction-level events.

CO says political tensions make everything worse ... so, he hopes people can put their politics aside to confront issues that affect everyone, regardless of political party or nationality.

Oppenheimer says the world totally shifted on its axis when the first atomic bomb went off in July 1945 which Charles said really heralded the beginning of global interdependence -- nations forced to rely on one another whether they wanted to or not.

Charles adds we can't go back to the days of the Cold War ... when a country tried to deter its enemies by building more bombs, essentially becoming the biggest, baddest dude on the block.

He said the only way out of that mindset is to work with those countries that otherwise might become enemies -- like China and Russia, two other global superpowers the U.S. doesn't exactly get along with.

The name Oppenheimer's on everyone's minds these days, mostly in regards to the Oscar-nominated flick -- but, there's another Oppenheimer focused on the world's problems too ... Charles, obviously.