Doomsday Clock Advances to 85 Seconds to Midnight Amid Escalating AI Disinformation and Global Tensions
Publish Date: 2026-02-15 04:47:00
Source Domain: avandatimes.com
AVANDATIMES.COM – The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved its symbolic Doomsday Clock forward by four seconds, placing humanity at an unprecedented 85 seconds to midnight, a stark warning reflecting a confluence of escalating global threats. This latest adjustment, announced on Saturday, 14 February 2026, primarily highlights the accelerating dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in fueling disinformation, alongside persistent nuclear weapon risks and a perceived lack of serious action on climate change.
Daniel Holz, chair of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board and a professor of physics at the University of Chicago, underscored AI’s pivotal role in the decision. “AI is a significant and accelerating disruptive technology,” Holz stated during the announcement, emphasizing its profound impact on global stability.
The board noted that the rapid advancement of AI technology is exacerbating a critical erosion of trust in information systems, making it increasingly difficult for societies to address complex global challenges. “AI is also supercharging mis- and disinformation, which makes it even more difficult to address all of the other threats we consider. But instead of working toward international standards governing AI safety, we are running headlong into an AI arms race with what could be dire consequences,” Holz warned.
Journalist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Ressa echoed these concerns, describing the combined effect of AI and social media as an “information armageddon.” She argued that without a foundation of reliable information, a “shared reality” necessary to confront existential threats like climate change and nuclear weapons becomes unattainable. Ressa articulated the fundamental importance of truth in governance: “Information integrity is the mother of all models, because you can’t run democracy on a corrupted operating system.”
Concerns about AI’s societal impact extend beyond…
