ALBAWABA In the year 2024, for the second consecutive time, the Doomsday Clock has been set to 90 seconds to midnight, symbolizing the sustained and unprecedented danger confronting the world.
The decision to set the clock at this ominous position was influenced by several factors that collectively paint a troubling picture of the current global landscape.
The Doomsday Clock, managed by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists since 1945, serves as a symbolic warning system, highlighting the potential catastrophic risks facing the world.
And they based this on factors that lead to the risks of a global catastrophe, such as Russia's stance on nuclear weapons amid its invasion of Ukraine, and Israel's nuclear-armed conflict in Gaza, in addition to the climate change crisis.
In the aftermath of World War II, a group of scientists, including luminaries like Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, created a symbolic timepiece known as the Doomsday Clock.
This clock serves as a sobering reminder of how close humanity stands to midnight, or the precipice of global catastrophe. Every year, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists takes stock of the world's perilous state, adjusting the clock's hands to reflect the current level of danger faced by humanity.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists also took note of the scorching heat experienced in 2023, marking it as the hottest year on record. This extreme climatic event serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change and its far-reaching consequences.
As the world grapples with the ramifications of global warming, the potential for environmental disasters becomes an increasingly critical element in assessing the overall threat to humanity.
Another element casting a shadow over the global scenario is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of human life, it also poses significant risks.
The scientists behind the Doomsday Clock express concern over AI's capacity to magnify disinformation and corrupt the global information environment.
