Doomsday clock reaches most dangerous point in its history
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, 2 years after the Bulletin was founded by scientists including Albert Einstein and J Robert Oppenheimer. Originally set at seven minutes to midnight, the clock uses the image of a countdown to warn the public about threats created by human technology.
The clock is set each year by the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, working with its Board of Sponsors, which includes Nobel laureates. Last year, the clock stood at 89 seconds to midnight. The four second shift reflects what the board described as rising nuclear danger, accelerating climate damage, growing biological threats, and the rapid spread of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Alexandra Bell, president and chief executive officer of the Bulletin, said the message behind the decision was unmistakable. She warned that catastrophic risks are increasing while international cooperation is breaking down, leaving little time for meaningful action. Change, she said, remains possible, but only if governments act quickly.
Closer to midnight
According to the statement, major powers including the United States, Russia, and China have become more aggressive and nationalistic over the past year. Existing international agreements are weakening, and global cooperation is being replaced by intense rivalry.
The board said this shift has undermined efforts to reduce the dangers of nuclear war, climate change, misuse of biotechnology, and unchecked development of artificial intelligence.
Nuclear risk was a central concern. Experts noted that more countries are relying more heavily on nuclear weapons, openly discussing their use not only for deterrence but also for pressure and coercion. Vast sums are being spent worldwide to modernize and expand nuclear arsenals, while some countries without nuclear weapons are reconsidering their positions.
Climate change also weighed heavily on the decision. The board pointed to record breaking trends and the continued burning of fossil fuels. Inez Fung of the University of California, Berkeley, said many renewable energy technologies are already affordable and effective, but governments are failing to deploy them at the necessary scale.
Biological threats were another major factor. Asha George of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense warned of weakened capacity to respond to disease outbreaks, advances in synthetic biology, and the growing overlap between biology and artificial intelligence. She said stronger partnerships between governments, industry, and public health institutions are essential to reduce the risk of devastating biological events.
Experts also raised alarms about artificial intelligence and the information environment. Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, described a global crisis of truth driven by technologies that spread falsehoods faster than facts. Without shared reality and trust, she said, countries cannot cooperate to address nuclear danger, climate collapse, or technological risk.
When were the hands set farthest from midnight?
Collapse In 1991, with the end of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the first treaty to provide for deep cuts to the two countries’ strategic nuclear weapons arsenals, prompting the Bulletin to set the clock hand to 17 minutes to midnight.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds to midnight in 2025.
