The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock four seconds closer to midnight, warning that humanity is now just 85 seconds from catastrophe—the closest the world has ever come to what the group describes as potential global extinction.
The adjustment was announced at a briefing in Washington, DC, and reflects escalating global dangers including nuclear tensions, climate change, emerging technologies, and growing geopolitical instability.
Midnight on the symbolic clock represents humanity’s failure to prevent a global disaster, such as nuclear war or irreversible environmental collapse.
Alexandra Bell, president and chief executive officer of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said world leaders have failed to take adequate steps to reduce existential threats.
“Every second matters, and we are running out of time. It’s a difficult truth, but this is the reality we face,” Bell said.
Board member John Wolfsthal noted that the decision to advance the clock was unusually straightforward this year, describing 2025 as “a bleak period” in terms of rising existential risks.
The Doomsday Clock has steadily crept closer to midnight in recent years. It was set at 90 seconds to midnight in 2023 and 89 seconds in 2025. The safest point in its history was in 1991, when it stood at 17 minutes to midnight following nuclear arms reduction agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War.
According to the Bulletin, a major factor behind the latest shift is the increasing risk that regional conflicts could escalate into a third world war. The group warned that several states continue to expand their dependence on nuclear weapons and military force despite repeated cautions.
Recent global flashpoints cited include Iran’s warnings that a US attack would trigger “all-out war,” ongoing unrest and crackdowns in Iran, Israel’s war in Gaza, and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now entering its fourth year.
The Bulletin reiterated that a single error, misjudgment, or accident could rapidly turn existing conflicts into nuclear confrontations.
Concerns were also raised about emerging technologies, particularly the unchecked development of artificial intelligence. Steve Fetter, a member of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, warned that unregulated AI tools could pose a serious threat to humanity’s survival.“These technologies can be used to convince people that events have occurred when they have not—such as fake riots or fabricated acts of war,” Fetter said, referencing AI-generated images and videos.
Climate change was highlighted as another major destabilising force. The Bulletin pointed to continued reliance on fossil fuels and the resulting increase in extreme weather events, including wildfires in California, deadly heatwaves in Europe, and a powerful hurricane that struck Jamaica last year.
Biological threats also played a role in the decision, with the Bulletin citing COVID-19, bird flu, and the world’s preparedness—or lack thereof—for future pandemics.
First introduced in 1947, the Doomsday Clock serves as a warning to both the public and policymakers about the consequences of failing to confront the world’s most serious and far-reaching threats.
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