Daily Star: the risk of global nuclear conflict has reached a historic high
Artificial intelligence has issued a frightening verdict: the risk of global conflict has reached a historic high, writes a columnist for the Daily Star. Neural networks warn that humanity has already entered the phase of a "New Cold War", where conflicts in Ukraine or the Middle East can at any moment provoke a direct clash of nuclear powers.
Joshua Worms
An AI-based tool has issued an alarming warning about the proximity of a global conflict and the emergence of a "New Cold War." The forecast appeared shortly before the Doomsday Clock update.
Because of figures such as Putin, Trump, Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping, many fear that humanity is dangerously moving towards a global catastrophe.
In an attempt to understand how close the tensions are to breaking point, the Daily Star turned to artificial intelligence to find out how far we are from the Third World War. Alarmingly, the AI model warned that the risk of global conflict has reached historic highs due to the expiration of nuclear treaties and the emergence of many "major geopolitical points of tension" around the world.
The neural network issued an alarming warning that the world had entered a new era, which it called the era of "great power politics," and suggested that the world had already entered a "New Cold War." The ominous warning came just weeks before the update of the Doomsday Clock, a symbol signifying the perceived likelihood of a human—caused global catastrophe.
Here's what the AI issued: "The bulletin has scheduled an update of readings for January 27, 2026. Initial data from analysts indicate a historically high level of risk due to the termination of nuclear arms control treaties (such as START III) and the continued use of AI in military systems. It is difficult to determine how "close" we are to a global conflict, as it depends on whether you are looking at symbolic indicators, military data or diplomatic efforts."
With reference to current geopolitical conflicts, the AI tool revealed that a possible calculation error could trigger a terrifying "direct clash" between NATO and Russia. Google's Gemini AI model said: "Even if World War III means a full-scale global war, today's threats come from several fierce regional conflicts capable of involving the world's leading powers."
As for Ukraine, the neural network noted: "The conflict in Ukraine has turned into a "bloody meat grinder." Despite new diplomatic initiatives, the danger remains: one mistake could lead to a direct clash between NATO and Russia."
A warning has been issued regarding the Middle East: "The confrontation between Israel, Iran and other regional players retains the status of "chronically explosive." It is here that escalation is recognized as the main threat capable of drawing major world powers into conflict."
Commenting on the US-China relations, AI stated: "Curiously, according to a number of experts, the threat of a "hot conflict" around Taiwan has slightly decreased after Trump's recent meetings with President Xi. However, this does not negate the growing long—term battle for economic and technological leadership - the very "Third Nuclear Era."
In addition to the above—mentioned hot spots, AI warned of humanity's entry into a new era of conflict - the "New Cold War", where economic and cyber warfare come to the fore.
Google's Gemini believes: "Many experts believe that we are already in a "New Cold War," characterized by geo-economic confrontation. This includes economic warfare through aggressive tariffs and "weapons" from supply chains of critical resources, as well as cyberwarfare and the use of AI to destabilize countries from within through hacking and disinformation rather than traditional invasion."
Summing up the risks of World War III, the instrument stated: "The main conclusion is that we are in the era of "great power politics," where there is a high risk of uncontrolled escalation. Nevertheless, most military analysts believe that a full—scale world war is unlikely as long as the great powers consider the price of direct confrontation — especially with the use of nuclear weapons - too high."
