The Doomsday Clock is one of the worldโs most enduring symbols of existential risk โ a stark reminder of how close humanity is to self-destruction. In 2025, atomic scientists pushed the clock closer to midnight than ever before, citing escalating nuclear tensions, global conflicts, climate change, and the growing dangers posed by artificial intelligence.
Hereโs what you need to know.
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The Doomsday Clock is a metaphor created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a Chicago-based nonprofit founded by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project, including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Midnight represents global catastrophe โ originally nuclear annihilation, but now expanded to include other existential threats. The closer the clock is to midnight, the greater the perceived danger to humanity.
The clock does not measure time. Instead, it reflects scientistsโ assessment of how global events, technologies, and political decisions affect human survival.
Where is the clock set now?
The Doomsday Clock on Tuesday, January 27 stands at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been.
This is four seconds closer than last year and marks the third time in four years that scientists have moved the clock forward.
Why did scientists move the clock closer?
The Bulletin cited a convergence of risks:
1. Rising nuclear dangers
Scientists warned that nuclear threats are โunsustainably high,โ as arms control agreements collapse and military conflicts unfold under the shadow of nuclear weapons. The last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia, New START, is set to expire in February, with no clear plan for replacement.
Russiaโs war in Ukraine, tensions involving Iran, clashes between India and Pakistan, and flashpoints in Asia โ including Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula โ all contribute to heightened risk.
2. Aggressive great-power politics
The United States, Russia, and China were described as becoming increasingly aggressive and nationalistic, prioritizing winner-takes-all power competition over global cooperation.
Scientists also warned that renewed nuclear weapons testing โ ordered by the US president after decades of restraint โ could trigger a dangerous arms race.
3. Artificial intelligence risks
Unregulated AI development is now considered a major threat. Scientists raised alarms over AIโs integration into military systems, its potential misuse in biological weapons development, and its role in spreading disinformation at a global scale.
Journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa warned of an โinformation Armageddon,โ where lies spread faster than facts through social media and generative AI.
4. Climate change
Despite years of warnings, global action on climate change remains inadequate, compounding risks to food security, stability, and human survival.
Who decides where the clock is set?
The clock is set annually by the Bulletinโs Science and Security Board, in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes Nobel laureates and leading experts in nuclear policy, climate science, and emerging technologies.
According to Bulletin president and CEO Alexandra Bell, the clock reflects a broader crisis of leadership.
โWhat we are seeing is a global failure of leadership,โ Bell said, warning that authoritarianism, neo-imperial ambitions, and attacks on democratic institutions only push the world closer to catastrophe.
Is the Doomsday Clock meant to predict the future?
No. The clock is not a prediction or a countdown. It is a warning system, designed to spark public debate and push leaders to reduce risks through diplomacy, cooperation, and evidence-based policy.
The Bulletin stresses that the clock can move away from midnight โ if governments take meaningful action on arms control, climate change, and emerging technologies.
Why the Doomsday Clock still matters
Nearly eight decades after its creation, the Doomsday Clock remains relevant because the threats it tracks are no longer theoretical.
Nuclear weapons still exist. Climate impacts are accelerating. Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than regulation. And global cooperation is under strain.
The clockโs message is simple but urgent: humanityโs survival depends not on technology alone, but on the choices leaders make โ and how quickly they choose cooperation over conflict.
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