Doomsday Clock just set to 85 seconds to midnight. Nearly 80 years since its inception, this time is the closest to midnight ever. It was reported by the Bulletin of the Science and Security Board of Atomic Scientists (SABS), a board of experts that updates the clock annually. This year, the group highlighted the growing threat of nuclear weapons, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, numerous biosecurity concerns and the continuing climate crisis.
Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, during the Cool War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In fact, it is a symbolic representation of how close humanity is to the destruction of the world, and midnight symbolizes the moment when humanity will make the Earth uninhabitable. Last year, the hands were moved to 89 seconds to midnight from the 90 seconds set in 2023 and 2024 due to insufficient progress in addressing or regulating global challenges such as nuclear risk, the climate crisis, biological threats, disruptive technologies and disinformation. “Every second of delay in changing course,” SABS members report, “increases the likelihood of a global catastrophe.”
Even closer to midnight
But instead of heeding this warning, the United States, Russia, China and other major countries have become even more aggressive and nationalistic this year. “Dangerous trends in nuclear risk, climate change, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and biosecurity are accompanied by another terrifying development: the rise of nationalist autocracies in countries around the world,” SABS president Daniel Holz said in a statement. “Our greatest challenges require international trust and cooperation, and an us-versus-them division of the world will make all of humanity more vulnerable.”
Time is running out
As global threats escalate, SABS report highlights lack of leadership. “Hard-won global agreements are collapsing, accelerating winner-takes-all competition for great power and undermining international cooperation crucial to reducing the risks of nuclear war, climate change, the misuse of biotechnology, the potential threat of artificial intelligence and other apocalyptic dangers,” the organization explained in a press release. “Too many leaders have become complacent and indifferent, in many cases adopting rhetoric and policies that accelerate rather than mitigate these existential threats.”
Seconds left
While it is a reminder of the vulnerability of a world approaching the point of no return, the Doomsday Clock also symbolizes that there is still time to act to pull humanity back from the brink. For example, the United States and Russia could resume discussions on limiting their nuclear arsenals, while multilateral agreements and national regulations could take appropriate action to limit the exploit of artificial intelligence to create biological threats. The U.S. Congress could provide incentives and investments to rapidly reduce fossil fuel exploit, while the United States, Russia and China could begin talks to develop guidelines for integrating artificial intelligence into their militaries, especially nuclear command and control systems.
“National leaders, especially those from the United States, Russia and China, must take the lead in finding a way out of the abyss,” the experts concluded. “Citizens must insist that they do so.”
This story was originally published on WIRED Italy and was translated from Italian.