Bulletin Sets Doomsday Clock at 85 Seconds — A Stark Signal on Nuclear, Climate, AI and Biological Risks

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists updated its emblematic timepiece to 85 seconds before midnight, a measurement intended to convey how perilously close leaders believe the planet is to catastrophe. That adjustment reflects a convergence of security challenges rather than a single failing: accelerating geopolitical rivalry among nuclear-armed states, stalled international cooperation on emissions, rapid technological advances in artificial intelligence, and growing vulnerabilities in the life sciences. Bulletin leaders say these trends have compounded, producing a risk landscape in which mis- and disinformation amplify dangers and slow coordinated responses. The announcement notes that recent years already pushed the clock nearer to midnight, but this year’s revision underscores a fresh escalation in military posturing and the impending lapse of key bilateral arms constraints between major powers. Experts involved with the clock emphasize that it is a communication tool—meant to prompt policy change and public debate—rather than a precise scientific measurement, but they argue the new setting reflects tangible policy reversals and gaps in governance. The document accompanying the change singled out emergent biological capabilities with weak global oversight as a source of acute worry and flagged synthetic constructs in life sciences as an area where international preparedness is lacking. Rapid proliferation of generative AI tools, combined with inadequate regulatory frameworks, was identified as intensifying disinformation and undermining the social trust required for collective action. Historical precedent shows the hands can be pushed back through concrete disarmament and diplomatic successes, but the Bulletin’s assessment is blunt: current trajectories indicate escalation rather than restraint. Commentators from scientific and civil-society groups reiterated that reversing the clock demands multinational treaties, strengthened norms for emerging technologies, and investments in pandemic readiness and climate mitigation. The message to citizens is also practical: public debate, better information practices, and pressure on policymakers are necessary complements to technical fixes. In short, the Bulletin uses the clock to translate complex technical risks into a political imperative—and this year it chose to issue an urgent warning that the international system is not keeping up with the threats it created.