On January 27, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that the Doomsday Clock had been moved forward by five seconds, placing it just 85 seconds from midnight.
The symbolic clock, updated annually by experts at the Bulletin, represents how close humanity is to a human-caused global catastrophe. This year’s decision reflects a convergence of dangers: the breakdown of nuclear arms control between the United States and Russia, accelerating climate change, rapid and largely unregulated advances in artificial intelligence, the global rise of authoritarianism, and emerging biological risks. Together, these factors have pushed the clock closer to midnight than at any point in history.
“It is the determination of the Science and Security Board that humanity has not made sufficient progress on the existential risks that endanger us all,” said Alexandra Bell, president and CEO of the Bulletin. “We thus move the clock forward.”
One of the most immediate risks is the potential for the first uncontrolled nuclear arms buildup since the end of the Cold War. The last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia— New START—expired on February 5, 2026. Without a replacement, limits on deployed nuclear weapons could disappear entirely. At the same time, new missile defense initiatives, like the proposed “Golden Dome,” risk destabilizing already fragile relationships between nuclear-armed states.
We are also entering an artificial intelligence arms race without adequate safeguards. AI is increasingly embedded in weapons systems and biomedical research, and often moves faster than governments can regulate it. While these technologies hold promise for medical breakthroughs, they also raise serious concerns when combined with risky laboratory practices and poorly understood biological research.
Rather than thinking about the Doomsday announcement as a fatal diagnosis, we should look at it as a wakeup call.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of an escalating climate crisis. Global temperatures continue to rise, intensifying extreme weather, food insecurity, and displacement. The encouraging reality is that clean energy technologies are now proven, affordable, and scalable, making this a critical moment for governments and the private sector to act.
As Bell reminds us, “the clock does not predict the future. It illuminates our current reality.” The clock has moved backward before, and it can again. Rather than thinking about the Doomsday announcement as a fatal diagnosis, we should look at it as a wakeup call.
Now is not the time for apathy. We must use this moment to recommit to our shared vision of a more peaceful and sustainable future. Now is the time to pursue renewed nuclear arms control, establish clear safeguards for emerging technologies, and invest in climate solutions. Our sustained commitment and collective advocacy can reverse the clock countdown.
At FCNL, we are committed to working with interfaith partners on nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, militarism, and peacebuilding. Already, more than 50 faith organizations have joined us in urging Congress to support negotiations that maintain limits on nuclear weapons.
If the path forward is unclear, it is ours to create.
