The ‘Doomsday Clock’ has almost brought humanity to the brink of destruction

The Guardian

The Doomsday Clock symbolising how near humanity is to destruction has been moved one second forward to 89 seconds to midnight – the closest it has ever been.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) – which sets the clock annually – said nuclear threats, potential misuses of advances in biology and artificial intelligence, as well as climate change, were the key factors.
Daniel Holz, chair of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, said the latest move was “a warning to all world leaders”.
In Tuesday’s statement, the BAS – a Chicago-based non-profit organisation – said: “In setting the clock one second closer to midnight, we send a stark signal.
“Systems that incorporate artificial intelligence in military targeting have been used in Ukraine and the Middle East, and several countries are moving to integrate artificial intelligence into their militaries.”

POSITIVE

The Doomsday Clock, which represents how close humanity is to annihilation, has been advanced by one second to 89 seconds before midnight, the closest it has ever been.

According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), which sets the clock every year, the main causes were climate change, possible abuses of biological and artificial intelligence advancements, and nuclear threats.

The most recent action was described as “a warning to all world leaders” by Daniel Holz, chair of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board.

In 1947, the clock was initially set to seven minutes before midnight. It remained constant at 90 seconds from the previous year.

“By bringing the clock one second closer to midnight, we send a stark signal,” the Chicago-based non-profit organization BAS said in a statement on Tuesday.

“A move of even a single second should be interpreted as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning that every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster given that the world is already dangerously close to the precipice.”. “,”.

Nearing three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it issued a warning that the ongoing conflict “could become nuclear at any moment because of a rash decision or through accident or miscalculation.”.

The statement warned that “the Middle East conflict has the potential to quickly escalate into a wider war.”.

The scientists’ panel also stated that “most governments are unable to implement the funding and policy measures required to stop global warming, so the long-term outlook for global efforts to address climate change remains poor.”. “.”.

“Emerging and re-emerging diseases continue to threaten the economy, society, and security of the world,” the BAS added, referring to the biological realm.

Additionally, “a variety of other disruptive technologies advanced last year in ways that make the world more dangerous,” the statement cautioned.

Artificial intelligence-based military targeting systems have been deployed in the Middle East and Ukraine, and a number of nations are attempting to incorporate AI into their armed forces. “.

“The spread of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories that degrade the communication ecosystem and increasingly blur the line between truth and falsehood is a potent threat multiplier that greatly exacerbates all of these dangers,” the organization emphasized.

According to the BAS, the United States, China, and Russia “have the collective power to destroy civilization” and “have the prime responsibility to pull the world back from the brink.”.

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