Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 8th December 2025
Posted: 9th December 2025
December 8, 2025
On November 18, 2025, the Dow was down nearly 500 points in morning trading as investors became increasingly concerned about AI stocks and the possibility of a bubble. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
When it all comes crashing down: The aftermath of the AI boom
Silicon Valley and its backers have placed a trillion-dollar bet on the idea that generative AI can transform the global economy and possibly pave the way for systems that exceed human capabilities. Science and tech journalist Jeremy Hsu writes that warning signs indicate a bubble with “growing societal costs that everyone will pay for regardless of when and how the bubble bursts.” Read more.
New START’s death is around the corner. Please, someone, tell the President
In two months, the last agreement constraining US & Russian nuclear weapons expires. “If President Donald Trump is interested in ‘denuclearization,’ as he says he is, he could seek to improve on Putin’s proposal,” writes Steven Pifer, former ambassador to Ukraine. Read more.
Violence over water resources reaches record levels
The amount of conflicts over water have increased over the past two decades. Climate scientist Peter Gleick writes that the “number of incidents reported in 2024 was nearly 20 percent higher than 2023 and nearly 80 percent higher than 2022, reflecting a steep growth in such incidents.” Read more.
The looming missile crisis in the Arctic
Defense agreements between the US and Northern European countries pose a direct threat to Russia’s Northern strategic forces, writes Vladimir Marakhonov. If the US deploys ballistic missile systems to Norway’s or Finland’s northern regions, and Russia detects them, a dilemma similar to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis could ensue. Read more.
A CDC committee led by RFK Jr. allies votes to stop recommending newborns get the hepatitis B vaccine
Since the US government began recommending hepatitis B vaccines for all newborns in 1991 cases in people 19 and younger have dropped 99 percent. Making the decision to stop recommending the vaccine all the more shocking to experts, reports Bulletin editor Matt Field. Read more.
BULLETIN IN THE NEWS
The Nuclear Threshold: Diplomacy, Deterrence, and Disarmament featuring Alexandra Bell
Bulletin president and CEO Alexandra Bell was a guest on foreign policy podcast The Burn Bag, closing out its miniseries on nuclear risks. Listen here.
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Upcoming Bulletin anniversary magazine
Stay tuned for the release of a special edition of the Bulletin magazine this Wednesday, December 10th. The entire issue will be available to all readers for a limited time, in celebration of the Bulletin’s 80th anniversary on that same day.
Learn more about the magazine.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The implications of AI-generated safety analysis and licensing in combination with aspirations of <5% of human intervention during normal operations [at nuclear power plants], demonstrates a concerted effort to move away from humans in the loop. This is unheard of when considering frameworks and implementation of AI within other safety-critical systems, that typically emphasize meaningful human control.”
—Heidy Khlaaf, head AI scientist at the AI Now Institute, ”’Atoms for Algorithms:’ The Trump Administration’s Top Nuclear Scientists Think AI Can Replace Humans in Power Plants,” 404 Media
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