The degree of political, environmental, and social chaos is no more significant today than at any other time in history. Thinking that times are worse now than they have ever been is staple of history.
Golly, I thought that the long period of the Black Death when millions died was the worst time for humans. Read "The Great Mortality" for a shocking view of the epidemic. Or maybe it was during WW I or WW II when millions more died. Or maybe after WW I when many millions died due to the flu epidemic. Politically, environmentally and socially, they were all terrible times. Hawkings needs to read more history. AlGore, that great prophet of impending doom, sounds like Hawking although he's not as smart. Both are wrong. Humankind will prevail, at least for a while, but I can't define "a while."