Inside StoryAtomic scientists raise alarm over more global conflict and new risks such as artificial intelligence.The Doomsday Clock has reached the closest ever point to midnight, according to the atomic scientists who run it.They say more wars, aggression from nuclear powers and weaker arms controls are to blame, along with climate change and risks posed by AI.So, should we be worried?Presenter: Cyril VanierGuests:Karim Haggag – Director at the Stockholm International Peace Research InstituteRamesh Srinivasan – Professor at UCLA Department of Information Studies and host of the podcast, UtopiasBen Aris – Founder and editor-in-chief of bne IntelliNews in BerlinPublished On 29 Jan 2026
SRCAl Jazeera
LANGEN
LEANCenter
WORDS102
ENT6
THU · 2026-01-29 · 19:07 GMTBRIEF NSR-2026-0129-11724
NSR-2026-0129-11724News Report·EN·National Security
Why is the Doomsday Clock nearer to midnight than ever before?
The Doomsday Clock, maintained by atomic scientists, is currently the closest it has ever been to midnight. This announcement, made on January 29, 2026, reflects growing global concerns.
Al JazeeraFiled 2026-01-29 · 19:07 GMTLean · CenterRead · 1 min
Al JazeeraFIG 01
Reading time
1min
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102words
Sources cited
3cited
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6entities
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Briefing Summary
AI-generatedNEWSAR · AI
The Doomsday Clock, maintained by atomic scientists, is currently the closest it has ever been to midnight. This announcement, made on January 29, 2026, reflects growing global concerns. The scientists cite increased global conflict, aggression from nuclear powers, weakened arms control agreements, climate change, and emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence as the primary reasons for their heightened alarm. Experts from institutions such as the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and UCLA discussed the implications of this announcement, highlighting the urgency of addressing these global threats. The clock serves as a symbolic warning about the potential for global catastrophe.
Confidence 0.85Sources 3Claims 5Entities 6
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Article analysis
Model · rule-basedFraming
National Security
Technology
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Mixed Tone
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CalmNeutralAlarmist
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0.60 / 1.00
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Sources cited
3
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Key claims
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Ramesh Srinivasan hosts the podcast, Utopias
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Karim Haggag is the Director at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
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The Doomsday Clock has reached the closest ever point to midnight.
factualatomic scientists
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Climate change and risks posed by AI are also factors.
factualatomic scientists
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0.90
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More wars, aggression from nuclear powers and weaker arms controls are to blame.
factualatomic scientists
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0.90
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Full report
1 min read · 102 words§ 05
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Keywords & salience
7 termsdoomsday clock
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global conflict
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artificial intelligence
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climate change
0.60
nuclear powers
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atomic scientists
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arms control
0.50
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