Disinformation tops global risks 2024 as environmental threats intensify
Global Risk Report released
The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024, drawing on nearly two decades of risk perception data, highlights a global risk landscape eroding progress in human development.Faced with shifts in global power dynamics, climate change, technological advancements, and demographic changes, the world grapples with stretched adaptive capacities.
Released in partnership with Zurich Insurance Group and Marsh McLennan, the report relies on the insights of over 1 400 global risk experts, policymakers, and industry leaders surveyed in September 2023. It paints a predominantly negative outlook for the world, with two-thirds of experts anticipating a multipolar or fragmented global order over the next decade.
The short-term outlook appears bleak, with 30% of experts foreseeing an elevated chance of global catastrophes in the next two years. This pessimism deepens for the long term, with nearly two-thirds expecting heightened global risks in the next decade.
Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, underscores the urgent need for global leaders to address accelerating risks, including misinformation and disinformation, exacerbated by an unstable global order marked by insecurity and polarizing narratives.
Key concerns for 2024 include a persistent cost-of-living crisis, AI-driven misinformation, disinformation, and societal polarization. The report highlights the rise of disinformation and the risk of interstate armed conflict as top concerns over the next two years. Economic uncertainty and declining development, particularly in conflict-prone or climate-vulnerable countries, may lead to isolation from investments and job opportunities.
Extreme weather
Environmental risks remain a dominant theme, with two-thirds of experts expressing worry about extreme weather events in 2024. However, disagreements arise on the urgency of environmental risks, with private sector respondents suggesting a longer timeframe than civil society or government.
The report calls for a rethinking of actions to address global risks, emphasizing the need for rapid cooperation to build guardrails for disruptive emerging risks. Recommendations include agreements on integrating AI in conflict decision-making, digital literacy campaigns to address misinformation, and fostering research and development for climate modelling and energy transition technologies.
The urgency of collective and coordinated cross-border actions is stressed, acknowledging the transformative impacts of AI, climate change, geopolitical shifts, and demographic transitions. Amidst the pessimism, the report highlights opportunities for risk reduction through localized strategies and individual actions, urging citizens, countries, and companies to contribute to a safer world.