Scientists and educators make the 2026 Doomsday Clock announcement at a press conference in Washington DC on Tuesday, January 27.

The Doomsday Clock is a symbol used to show how close the world is believed to be to a human-caused catastrophe. Its setting considers nuclear weapons, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, conflicts around the world, biological threats and climate change, as well as how global leaders respond to those risks.

In January 2025, the Doomsday Clock was set at 89 seconds to midnight, marking the closest it has ever been to global catastrophe.