Humanity is on the verge of self-destruction, suggesting that AI may be the cause.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is a group of experts from around the world who have been setting the clock on the possibility of human extinction for 75 years.

According to the group, threats such as AI misinformation and disruption, increased military use of technology, and the ability to magnify other threats are on the list of greatest risk factors.

The greatest threats come from the potential use of nuclear weapons, biological warfare, and growing concerns about the effects of climate change.

Doomsday clock experts say that AI, if properly regulated and used, could have a significant positive impact on human safety.

The Doomsday Clock was created by scientists involved in the Manhattan Project. [The first Doomsday Clock was set at 0:07 a.m. on the cover of a 1947 issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. The clock has run 25 times in the past 77 years, and last year it was set at 0:90 a.m. for the first time.

The Bulletin's "Doomsday Clock" has been set at 0:00 a.m. for several reasons: wars in Gaza and Ukraine, increased funding of nuclear weapons programs by the nuclear powers, and the risk of climate change.

Dr. Rachel Bronson, president and CEO of Bulletin, stated: "The fact that the clock is reset to 0:90 am is not an indication that the world is stable. Quite the opposite. [It is] imperative that governments and communities around the world take action. And the Bulletin continues to be hopeful and inspired by the younger generation taking the lead," she added.

Like any technology, AI is as dangerous as those who use it. However, AI is one of the most important technological developments of the last year, and it is being widely adopted in government, industry, and education before any meaningful regulations are put in place.

Bulletin experts warn that AI has great potential to "magnify disinformation and corrupt the information environment on which democracy depends, which is necessary to solve major global problems. This, they suggest, could make it more difficult to address nuclear, biological, and other risks.

There is also increasing military use of AI for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, simulation, and training. It is also being deployed in weapons that can identify targets without human intervention or control.

Bulletin scientists see the greatest risk here. They warn that "the decision to put AI under the control of critical physical systems, especially nuclear weapons, could pose a direct existential threat to humanity."

While AI was listed as a threat to humanity, it was also listed as an opportunity for humanity to pull itself back from crisis and move the hands of the clock further from midnight.

Countries and companies are beginning to recognize the need to regulate AI and are taking steps to reduce the risk of harm. This includes new frameworks for the safe use of AI by the European Union and the Biden administration in the United States.

Bill Nye, who attended the 2024 Doomsday Clock announcement, said: "For decades, scientists have warned of the dangers facing humanity. Unless we successfully manage the technology we have created, we could face catastrophe. Now is the time to act."