The Doomsday Clock

the Doomsday Clock was created in 1947, during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. It is, in essence, a symbolic representation of how close humanity is to the destruction of the world, with midnight symbolizing the moment when humanity will make the Earth uninhabitable. Last year, the hands were moved to 89 seconds to midnight, from 90 seconds set in 2023 and 2024, due to insufficient progress in responding or regulating global challenges such as nuclear risk, climate crisis, biological threats, disruptive technology, and disinformation. “Every second of delay in changing course,” SABS members reported, “increases the likelihood of a global disaster.”

Even Closer to midnight

However, instead of heeding this warning, the United States, Russia, China, and other major countries have become more aggressive and nationalistic this year. “The dangerous trends of nuclear risk, climate change, disruptive technologies such as AI, and biosecurity are accompanied by another alarming development: the rise of nationalistic autocracies in countries around the world,” said SABS president Daniel Holz in a statement. “Our greatest challenges require international trust and cooperation, and a world divided into ‘us versus them’ will leave all people more vulnerable.”

Time is running out

As global threats worsen, the SABS report highlights a lack of leadership. “Hard global understandings are collapsing, facilitating a winner-takes-all major power competition and undermining international cooperation critical to reducing the risks of nuclear war, climate change, the misuse of biotechnology, the potential threat of artificial intelligence, and other apocalyptic dangers,” the organization explained in a press release. “Many leaders have become complacent and apathetic, in many cases adopting rhetoric and policies that exacerbate rather than mitigate these risks.”

The Seconds That Remain

While it is a reminder of the fragility of the world as it approaches the point of no return, the Doomsday Clock also symbolizes that there is still time to act, to pull humanity back from the brink. The United States and Russia, for example, can continue discussions about limiting their nuclear arsenals, while through multilateral agreements and national regulations, appropriate measures can be taken to reduce the possibility of using artificial intelligence to create biological threats. The US Congress can provide incentives and investments that will enable a rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels, while the United States, Russia, and China can start talks to develop guidelines for integrating artificial intelligence in their militaries, especially the nuclear command and control system.

“The national leaders, especially those of the United States, Russia, and China, must take the lead in finding a way out of the abyss,” the experts concluded. “Citizens have to insist that they do it.”

This story was originally published on WIRED Italy and translated from the Italian.