Humanity is closer to catastrophe than ever amid rising nuclear tensions, AI risks, biological security concerns and the worsening climate crisis, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has set the Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight, reflecting its assessment of how close humanity is to being annihilated by existential threats such as nuclear war, climate change, biotechnology risk, disruptive technologies such as AI and geopolitical conflicts. Midnight on the clock symbolises global human-made disaster if those threats aren’t addressed.
As of January 2026, the clock is the closest it has ever been to the hour of doom. From the acceleration of a renewed nuclear arms race to the rise of nationalistic autocracies around the world, 2025 was an exceedingly dangerous year, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
It particularly warns that in the face of these existential risks “far too many leaders have grown complacent and...