Scientists will announce Tuesday whether humanity has moved closer to extinction, with experts predicting the Doomsday Clock could advance significantly due to rising nuclear tensions and artificial intelligence threats.
Clock Could Advance Nine Seconds
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists will reveal the 2026 time at 10 a.m. Eastern during a live news conference featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa and other experts. Dr. SJ Beard from Cambridge University’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk told the Daily Mail the clock should move forward nine seconds, citing concerns over potential nuclear conflict between world superpowers. The clock currently stands at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest humanity has ever been to self-destruction since its 1947 creation.
Created by scientists including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer after developing atomic weapons, the clock measures humanity’s proximity to catastrophic destruction. Kelsey Davenport from the Arms Control Association notes that global nuclear arsenals now contain 12,000 weapons, while tensions between nuclear powers continue escalating. Summer conflicts between India and Pakistan highlighted these risks, accompanied by what experts call increasingly threatening nuclear rhetoric from world leaders.
Arms Control Treaty Expires
The New START Treaty, which limits American and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals, expires February 5th with no replacement agreement in sight. Hamza Chaudhry from the Future of Life Institute warns this represents a fundamental breakdown in nuclear arms control architecture for the first time since the early Cold War. He recommends moving the clock forward five to ten seconds based solely on this development.
Multiple Existential Threats Converging
Nuclear weapons represent just one concern driving expert predictions. Artificial intelligence development has accelerated without adequate safety measures, creating what researchers call an existential risk driver comparable to nuclear threats. The multilateral world order has collapsed according to Cambridge’s Dr. Beard, forcing nations to choose sides between competing authoritarian powers. While immediate nuclear conflict remains unlikely due to current diplomatic relationships, experts warn these alignments could shift rapidly, creating dangerous scenarios where miscalculation leads to devastating consequences for American families and global stability.