The Doomsday clock has been around since 1947; it is a symbolic clock that represents how close humanity is to destroying the world. Every year during January the hands on the clock are moved (or not) depending on what happened the previous year and how it will potentially cause a decline in our future. The change in the clock is decided by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board.
The clock was initially set at 7 minutes until midnight, which seems bad; however, in comparison to what it is this year, 1947 was not awful. This year, the clock was set to 89 seconds until midnight. This is the closest the clock has ever been to midnight, meaning we are closer than ever to a human-caused catastrophe.
This arguably scary number can be attributed to nuclear risks, climate change, disease, and technology. As the Russia and Ukraine war continues and tensions in the Middle East remain high, nuclear war could be closer than we think. At the doomsday clock press conference, Manpreet Sethi, a member of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, pointed out how “Russia has suspended compliance with the New START treaty and withdrawn ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. China is rapidly increasing its nuclear arsenal. And, the US has abdicated its role as a voice of caution,” officially making the threat of nuclear war greater than it ever was.
However, nuclear warfare is not the only thing threatening our very existence. Climate change is doing an ample amount of damage to our planet. Sea levels and surface temperatures have reached an all-time high, and greenhouse gas levels continue to rise. Despite our knowledge that climate change worsens natural disasters, some still refuse to acknowledge its existence.
Disease is also a larger issue many forget about. Suzet McKinney, a member of Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, believes “unfortunately the collective experience with COVID-19 has increased skepticism about the recommendations of public health officials.” This makes the average citizen more prone to treating illnesses incorrectly, which could lead to a quicker spread of disease. We are also seeing older diseases re-emerge which could lead to mass human death.
Although all these factors are important, the most relevant to us today is the dangers of technology. As AI continues to grow in popularity, some militaries have begun to incorporate it into their practices. Whether it be for creating/fixing weapons or decision making, AI in a military setting is concerning. At what point do we refuse the help of AI, and to what extent will the military allow ai to impact decisions?
Although these questions will remain unanswered for years to come, we as humans should try our best to stay informed about these issues. The first step to combatting these issues is becoming knowledgeable about them. Without knowledge, we have no future, and the clock will continue to get closer to midnight.
