Doomsday Clock Reset to 85 Seconds to Midnight: What It Means for the World

Context

The Doomsday Clock has been reset to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been

About Doomsday Clock

• The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic indicator maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
• Midnight represents global catastrophe, while the distance from midnight reflects how close humanity is to self-destruction.
• It was first introduced in 1947, primarily to highlight nuclear risks, and later expanded to include climate change, biosecurity, and emerging technologies.

Why Has the Clock Been Moved to 85 Seconds?

• Escalating Nuclear Risks: Ongoing conflicts involving nuclear-armed states and the weakening of arms control frameworks have increased the chances of intentional or accidental nuclear escalation.
• Climate Change as a Threat Multiplier: Inadequate global climate action amid rising extreme weather events is intensifying risks to food, water, and human security while fuelling conflict and displacement.
• Emerging Technologies and AI Risks: Rapid advances in artificial intelligence, cyber warfare, and autonomous weapons heighten the risk of miscalculation, disinformation, and loss of human control over critical systems.
• Erosion of Global Governance: The weakening of multilateral institutions and arms control mechanisms has reduced the world’s capacity for coordinated responses to existential global threats.

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