89 Seconds to Midnight: Understanding the 2025 Adjustment of the Doomsday Clock

Photo via ABC News

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The Doomsday Clock, a symbol of humanity’s proximity to global catastrophe, exists as a stark reminder of the existential threats facing our world today. Since 1947, this clock has been maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and is adjusted annually to reflect assessments of nuclear risk, climate change, and emerging technological dangers.

In January of  2025, the clock was set to 89 seconds to midnight—the closest it has ever been—highlighting an urgent need for global action to mitigate these growing threats and reinforcing a dire warning about the state of global security. This adjustment brings the world closer to symbolic annihilation than ever before and reflects escalating international conflicts, the continued deterioration of arms control agreements, and the worsening impact of climate change. Furthermore, the adjustment underscores the urgency of addressing these issues before they reach a point of no return. 

Heightened conflicts among major powers, particularly between the relations of the United States and Russia, have increased fears of military escalation. Simultaneously, nuclear modernization programs and the erosion of arms control treaties have heightened the risk of nuclear confrontation. An example of this can be seen with the 2019 collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). 

The INF treaty was an agreement between NATO and the Russian Federation that limited the weapon systems involved nations were permitted to pursue. According to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the U.S. and its NATO allies “determined Russia to be in material breach of the treaty,” therefore ending the U.S.’s obligations under the INF treaty. The culmination of similar breakdowns of diplomatic negotiations between major nuclear powers has only further destabilized international security. 

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence presents additional security challenges through AI-driven misinformation campaigns, large-scale cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, and the potential weaponization of emerging technologies. 

For example, the increasing integration of AI in military decision-making raises concerns about autonomous warfare and the ethical implications of delegating critical security decisions to non-human intelligence. With an uptick of autonomous weapons systems, such as drones and robots that have the ability to identify, track, and engage targets based on pre-programmed parameters or real-time data analysis, there is a consequent decline of the moral and ethical considerations that human soldiers have historically brought to their decisions. 

Beyond military threats, climate change continues to pose an existential crisis. Record-breaking temperatures have been observed, with July of 2024 being the hottest month ever recorded, marking the 14th consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures. Extreme weather events are also becoming more frequent, with 90% of disasters now classified as weather- or climate-related. Events such as heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms are major triggers of humanitarian and food crises that exacerbate inequalities worldwide.

Leading scientists and security analysts warn that the convergence of these threats leaves little room for complacency. Dr. Rachel Bronson, President of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, emphasizes that the world is now “closer to catastrophe than at any point in history.” 

Without immediate intervention, these crises will continue to compound, making future recovery efforts significantly more difficult. In response to the latest clock adjustment, the Bulletin has urged policymakers and global leaders to take immediate action to combat the issues detailed in their report. This can be done through: 

1. Strengthening arms control agreements to prevent nuclear proliferation and reduce geopolitical tensions.
2. Implementing aggressive climate policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to renewable energy.
3. Establishing comprehensive international frameworks for the regulation and ethical development of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity measures.
4. Promoting global cooperation and multilateral dialogue to address these threats collectively rather than through unilateral action. 

As the Doomsday Clock ticks closer to midnight, it serves as a stark warning which urges the necessity for diplomacy, innovation, and decisive action to mitigate these existential threats. Addressing these challenges requires immediate policy shifts and long-term commitments to sustainability, conflict resolution, and responsible technological governance. Nations must recognize that security is a shared endeavor: global threats demand global solutions. 

The Bulletin’s warning stands not as a prophecy, but rather as a call to action, reminding humanity that its future is not predetermined. Through cooperative engagement, informed decision-making, and collective resolve, the world still has the power to turn back the clock and move toward a safer, more stable future.

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This article was edited by Gagandeep Kaur and Katherine Hohman.