For the past 78 years, the Doomsday Clock has been used to visualize the how susceptible the world is to global catastrophe and nuclear demise. On January 28th, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced the decision to move it one second closer to midnight.
It is now at 89 seconds to midnight which is the closest it has ever been. The organizations cites the following threats for bringing humanity to this point: nuclear weapons, the climate crisis, artificial intelligence, infectious diseases and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The clock was created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board, the clock’s hand moves based on whether events push humanity closer to or further from nuclear apocalypse. It also includes dangers posed by climate change and other existential threats.
“The purpose of the Doomsday Clock is to start a global conversation about the very real existential threats that keep the world’s top scientists awake at night,” said Daniel Holz, chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in a statement.
The board notes how nuclear risks grow as treaties break down and increase the possibility of nuclear use. “(The U.S.) seems inclined to expand its nuclear arsenal and adopt a posture that reinforces the belief that ‘limited’ use of nuclear weapons can be managed,” said board member Manpreet Sethi. “Such misplaced confidence could have us stumble into a nuclear war.”
There are also concerns around the integration of artificial intelligence in weapons encouraging military decisions to engage in war. “Ever-increasing dysfunction in the world’s information ecosystem disrupts society’s capacity to address difficult challenges, and AI has great potential to accelerate the chaos and disorder,” said Herb Lin, member of the organization.
The clock was first set at 7 minutes to midnight in 1947, and by January 2023 the clock was at 90 seconds until midnight. The war in Ukraine had also raised questions about the deteriorating standards of international conduct that would usually result in successful responses to global risks.
