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Doomsday Clock It was just set for 85 seconds to midnight. Nearly 80 years old After its creationThis time represents the closest hour ever to midnight. This was it I mentioned By the Bulletin of the Science and Security Board of Atomic Scientists (SABS), an expert council that updates the clock annually. This year, the group highlighted the growing threat of nuclear weapons, and destructive technologies such as… artificial intelligenceMultiple concerns about biosecurity, and the ongoing climate crisis.
Doomsday Clock
the Doomsday Clock It was created in 1947, during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. It is, in essence, a symbolic representation of how close humanity has come to destroying the world, with midnight symbolizing the moment humanity renders 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 risks, the climate crisis, biological threats, disruptive technologies, and disinformation. “Every second of delay in reversing course increases the odds of a global catastrophe,” SABS members reported.
Even closer to midnight
But instead of heeding this warning, the United States, Russia, China and other major countries have become more aggressive and nationalistic this year. “Dangerous trends in nuclear risks, climate change, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and biosecurity are accompanied by another frightening development: the rise of nationalist authoritarian regimes in countries around the world,” SABS President Daniel Holz said in a statement. “Our greatest challenges require international trust and cooperation, and a world divided into ‘us versus them’ would make all of humanity more vulnerable.”
Time is running out
As global threats worsen, the SABS report highlights a lack of leadership. “Hard-won global understandings are crumbling, leading to accelerating winner-take-all great power competition, and undermining international cooperation critical to reducing the risks of nuclear war, climate change, the misuse of biotechnology, the potential threat of artificial intelligence, and other horrific risks,” the organization explained in a press release. “Too many leaders have become complacent and apathetic, and in many cases have adopted rhetoric and policies that accelerate rather than mitigate these existential risks.”
Seconds remaining
While it is a reminder of the fragility of the world as it approaches 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 reducing their nuclear arsenals, while appropriate measures could be taken through multilateral agreements and national regulations to limit the potential for AI to be used to create biological threats. The US Congress could provide incentives and investments to enable a rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels, while the United States, Russia, and China could initiate talks to establish guidelines on integrating artificial intelligence into their militaries, especially nuclear command and control systems.
“National leaders, especially those of the United States, Russia and China, must take the lead in finding a way out of the abyss,” the experts concluded. “Citizens must insist on doing so.”
This story was originally published on Wired Italy It was translated from Italian.