At the start of two years that will see nearly three billion people go to the polls and in the midst of the boom in artificial intelligence, disinformation is among the greatest risks for humanity, estimates the World Economic Forum.
“The widespread use of misinformation and disinformation and the tools to disseminate them can undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments,” according to the International Risks Report published Wednesday, a few days before the World Economic Forum, which is being held in Davos, Switzerland, January 15-19.
“The resulting unrest could range from violent protests and hate crimes to civil clashes and terrorism,” the document continues.
Voters must choose new leaders in major economies, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, over the next two years, says the World Economic Forum .
The five main concerns are different for each country, however, underlined Saadia Zahidi, director general of the World Economic Forum, during a press conference in London on Wednesday, specifying that if the risks of false information “do not appear at all in the top five” for the United States, “for India, it’s risk number one.”
Beyond the risks of misinformation – false information but disseminated unintentionally – and disinformation – false information disseminated voluntarily – “induced by artificial intelligence” but also of “societal polarization”, are added this year “concerns concerning a persistent cost of living crisis,” notes the Forum in a press release.
And while several wars are underway, interstate armed conflicts are among the top five concerns over the next two years.
In the longer term, extreme weather and critical changes in the earth’s environmental systems become the greatest concern.
The report, produced in partnership with Swiss insurance company Zurich and Marsh McLennan, draws on the views of more than 1,400 global risk experts, policymakers and business leaders surveyed in September 2023.
Of these, two-thirds expect a multipolar or fragmented order to take shape over the next decade.
The report is “very different from last year where, in the longer term, there was still optimism while this year, in the longer term, it is pessimism”, noted Saadia Zahidi during the press conference.
This report “is a projection. Yes, the outlook is very bleak. But this is by no means a definitive prediction of the future (which) is largely in our hands” and in the hands “of decision-makers,” she said.
“World leaders must come together to address short-term crises and lay the foundations for a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive future,” Ms. Zahidi called earlier in the World Economic Forum press release.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog will attend the Forum in Davos, where the war between Israel and Hamas will be a major topic, organizers announced on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron, new ultra-liberal Argentine head of state Javier Milei, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be among the more than 60 heads of state and government present.