Is humanity facing its final hour before it reaches self destruction? The Doomsday Clock echoes the concerning answer as the symbolic clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight for 2026.
Since the beginning of this tradition in 1947, the recent Doomsday Clock update speaks volumes of one of the most gloomiest assessments of humanity prospects.
In 2025, the clock moved forward to 89 seconds to midnight.
According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), the world is reeling from catastrophic risks as international cooperation is on decline and proliferation of nuclear weapons on rise.
Alexandra Bell, the president and CEO of BAS said, “The Doomsday Clock’s message cannot be clearer….and we are running out of time.”
Given the sense of urgency prevailing among scientists, the question arises: What threats are pushing Doomsday Clock closer to midnight?
The world is blazing in various conflicts, spanning from Asia, Africa, and Europe to the Middle East. More worrying is the involvement of nuclear-armed countries, such as Russia, Israel, and the US which could push humanity to the brink of destruction.
Moreover, the expiration of the New START Treaty, set for February 5, without a significant replacement has raised fears of a runaway arms race.
The life-threatening realities of climate change are largely looming over humanity. Unfortunately, the national and international responses have remained highly insufficient. The extreme weather events in the form of raging wildfires, scorching heatwaves, and massive floods have ravaged the various communities globally.
However, the leaders have failed to deliver on carbon emission targets, climate justice and financing.
The bulletin said, “ On the climate emergency, the national and international responses have ranged from wholly insufficient to profoundly destructive.”
Artificial intelligence which started for the benefit of humanity have, unfortunately, matured into a destabilizing force. The unregulated use of AI models and their integration in military systems have multiplied its risks. Moreover, AI-driven disinformation has undermined international cooperation needed to solve other crises.
The Bulletin scientists also warned that adversarial and nationalistic tendencies have gained ground at the expense of diplomacy and cooperation.
The countries are becoming “increasingly aggressive, adversarial, and nationalistic,” they said.
Recent emergence in information warfare, global protectionism, and erosion of democratic values, and rise of autocracies justify the fears of BAS.
The unregulated use of biotechnology has also raised concerns about its potential misuse. Synthetic mirror life is another frontier where the world should be worried about. These engineered lifeforms that could potentially bypass natural biological defences if released.
According to the group, this is not the end. The symbolic block could be turned back if the international community and leaders join hands to address these existential risks.
“Our greatest challenges require international trust and cooperation, and a world splintering into ‘us versus them’ will leave all of humanity more vulnerable,” Daniel Holz, chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said.