Is AI Pushing Us Closer to Nuclear Disaster?
Summary
In this episode, Al Letson interviews Daniel Holz of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists regarding the Doomsday Clock's closest-ever setting to midnight. They delve into the clock's history, its purpose as a symbol of existential risk, and the specific man-made threats driving its time, including nuclear weapons, climate change, disinformation, and the growing concern around artificial intelligence in military systems. Holz emphasizes that while the situation is dire, the clock also represents hope and highlights concrete actions humanity can take to reduce these risks and secure the future.Episode description
Earlier this year, Daniel Holz from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that its experts were moving the hands of the Doomsday Clock to 89 seconds before midnight. The hands have been moved only 25 times since the clock’s creation in 1947, and they’re now the closest they’ve pointed to imminent global destruction. On this week’s More To The Story, Holz sits down with host Al Letson to talk about the history of the Doomsday Clock, why we’re closer to destruction than ever before, and what we can do to stop it.
Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Digital producer: Nikki Frick | Interim executive producers: Brett Myers and Taki Telonidis | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al Letson
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Listen: Weapons With Minds of Their Own (Reveal)
Learn more: NUKEMAP
Read: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Read: Why Iran’s Nuclear Program Is So Essential to Its Identity (The Guardian)