World Economic Forum: These Are The Biggest Threats to the World
The Report Was Published Ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos
The World Economic Forum (WEF) published a report investigating some of the most significant risks threatening our planet over the next decade. This analysis comes amidst rapid technological changes, economic uncertainty, rising temperatures, and global conflicts.
The report provides a mainly negative outlook for the world in the next two years, which is expected to worsen over the coming decade. A survey conducted in September 2023 revealed that 54% of respondents expect global instability and a moderate risk of disasters, while 30% believe conditions will lead to greater turmoil.
Prospects appear considerably more negative in the long term. Weakened economies and societies may surpass the tipping point of resilience with the slightest shock.
This year's WEF report considers four factors that will influence global risk management over the next decade: climate change, demographics, technological evolution, and geostrategic shifts.
Specifically, the report, published ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos (set to take place on January 15-19), identifies artificial intelligence in relation to elections as the greatest risk for the next two years due to its potential for widespread misinformation.
It is noteworthy that in 2024, elections will be held in nearly half of the countries worldwide, including the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, and the European Parliament, with at least 3 billion people expected to vote.
Additionally, the report states that in the next two years, "foreign and domestic actors will exploit misinformation and false information to widen social and political divides." The WEF report further emphasizes that the spread of misinformation could trigger social unrest and lead to censorship, propaganda, and controls on the free flow of information.
Beyond the risk of misinformation, the next two years will also be threatened by extreme weather events, inflation, economic recession, cybersecurity, armed conflicts, social division, lack of economic opportunities, involuntary migration, and pollution.
