00:00It is the determination of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic
00:04Scientists that the world has not made sufficient progress on existential risks threatening
00:12all of humanity.
00:14We thus move the clock forward.
00:17In setting the clock closer to midnight, we send a stark signal.
00:22Because the world is already perilously close to the precipice, any move towards midnight
00:28should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning.
00:34Every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster.
00:43It is now 89 seconds to midnight.
00:50This is the closest the world has ever been to midnight.
00:58We set the clock closer to midnight because we do not see sufficient positive progress
01:04on the global challenges we face, including nuclear risk, climate change, biological threats,
01:12and advances in disruptive technologies.
01:15The countries that possess nuclear weapons are increasing the size and role of their
01:19arsenals, investing hundreds of billions of dollars in weapons that can destroy civilization
01:26many times over.
01:28Meanwhile, arms control treaties are in tatters, and there are active conflicts involving nuclear
01:33powers.
01:35The world's attempts to deal with climate change remain inadequate, as most governments
01:40fail to enact the financing and policy initiatives necessary to halt global warming.
01:462023 was the hottest year on record, by far, and 2024 was even hotter.
01:56Advances in an array of disruptive technologies, including biotechnology, artificial intelligence,
02:02and in space, have far outpaced policy, regulation, and a thorough understanding of their consequences.
02:11All of these dangers are greatly exacerbated by a potent threat multiplier, the spread
02:17of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that degrade the communication ecosystem
02:23and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood.
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