The Doomsday Clock, which measures the likelihood of human extinction, has been moved forward to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to catastrophic disaster. The decision was made by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, citing nuclear escalation, climate change, and biological threats such as Covid and Avian flu as the main reasons for the change.
The clock was previously set at 90 seconds to midnight, with conflicts in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and increasing tensions between China and Taiwan contributing to the stagnant clock hand. However, the re-election of divisive figures such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, and Nicolas Maduro may have contributed to this year’s decision.
Climate change has been a major factor in pushing the clock hands forward in recent years, with devastating wildfires in California and powerful hurricanes leaving thousands without homes. The Bulletin also cited nuclear escalation, biological threats, and the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories as major factors contributing to the change.
The symbolic clock is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, who last year set it at 90 seconds to midnight. Former Colombian president and Bulletin member, Juan Manuel Santos, said: “The clock is a stark diagnosis of our reality – we stand closer to human catastrophe than ever before.”
The Bulletin also highlighted the role of AI in moving the clock forward, stating that AI-enabled distortion of the information environment may be an important factor in preventing the world from dealing effectively with urgent major threats like nuclear war, pandemics, and climate change.
The clock has been moved forward by another second, with the Bulletin stating that the world is already perilously close to the precipice and that every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster.
