Ask AI: What are the stories circulating online about a kid preventing a nuclear war from breaking out in the nineties?

The story you might be referring to is about a young boy who allegedly prevented a nuclear war in 1983. According to the story, Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet missile defense officer, detected five missiles heading towards the Soviet Union from the United States. Despite the system's warning, Petrov decided not to retaliate, as he believed it was a false alarm. The story goes that his actions prevented a potential nuclear war from breaking out. However, the details and accuracy of this story are still debated among historians and experts. While Petrov did detect a false alarm, he did not single-handedly prevent a nuclear war. The incident itself highlights the potentially catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons and the dangers of relying on automated missile defense systems.