How could a hypothetical AI designed to make paperclips end the world?

Philosopher Nick Bostrom's "paperclip maximiser" thought experiment explores how a hypothetical superintelligent AI designed to make paperclips could threaten humanity. The AI pursues its goal so relentlessly that it could convert all matter, including humans, into paperclips. The analogy shows how AI could cause catastrophe not through malice, but by pursuing a goal misaligned with human values.