What Time is it on the Doomsday Clock in 2026?

What Time is it on the Doomsday Clock in 2026? - Portugal Business News

Atomic News - What Time is it on the Doomsday Clock in 2026? According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists published on January 27, 2026, this is how far the world is from Midnight:

1 - What Time is it on the Doomsday Clock in 2026?

The Doomsday Clock, or the Nuclear War Clock, published by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists represents how close the world is to global disaster at the hands of humans. On January 27 2026, the Science and Security Board released a Press Statement announcing that the world is now "85 seconds to midnight".

2 - Why does the Doomsday Clock show we are just seconds from Midnight?

According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the decision to move the clock forward from 89 to 85 seconds reflects escalating threats from nuclear weapons, accelerating climate change and the potential misuse of emerging technologies.

Here are the main reasons why the Doomsday Clock shows we are just seconds from Midnight:

1 - An upcoming Nuclear arms race

At the announcement of the new Doomsday Clock setting, the representatives highlighted how the last remaining treaty governing nuclear weapons stockpiles between the United States and Russia is expiring. This means that for the first time in over half a century, there will be nothing preventing a “runaway” nuclear arms race. The scientists involved also voiced concern about the global rise of autocracies and how AI is “supercharging" mis- and disinformation.

2 - AI

Scientists believe that AI could undermine nuclear deterrence in several ways. According to the Future of Life Institute, an international thinktank focused on existential risks from transformative technologies, this could include increased risk of error based on disinformation, as well as the fact that faster, AI-driven judgments may leave little time to verify information before irreversible actions are taken.

3 - War in Europe prompting nuclear risks and biological threats

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had already prompted researchers to advance the Doomsday Clock from 107 to 90 seconds (1.5 minutes) before midnight in early 2023 and the war is still ongoing.

3 - What should the world do to prevent the Doomsday Clock from reaching Midnight?

In order to prevent the Doomsday Clock from reaching Midnight, these are the steps advised by scientists:

1 - Urgent action to limit nuclear arsenals

2 - Create international guidelines on the use of AI

3 - Form multilateral agreements to address global biological threats

4 - Providing incentives and investments that will enable rapid reduction in fossil fuel use and tackle climate change

“Without facts, there is no truth. Without truth, there is no trust. And without these, the radical collaboration this moment demands is impossible. We are living through an information Armageddon—the crisis beneath all crises—driven by extractive and predatory technology that spreads lies faster than facts and profits from our division. We cannot solve problems we cannot agree exist. We cannot cooperate across borders when we cannot even share the same facts. Nuclear threats, climate collapse, AI risks: none can be addressed without first rebuilding our shared reality. The clock is ticking,” stated Maria Ressa, co-founder and CEO of Rappler, professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

4 - What is the Doomsday Clock?

The Doomsday Clock time is annually determined by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SASB) in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes eight Nobel Laureates.