Davos: The World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risks Report has identified state-based armed conflict as the most significant risk facing the world by 2025, closely followed by extreme weather events and geo-economic confrontation. Released ahead of the forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the report also highlights misinformation, disinformation, and societal polarization as major concerns.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, Saadia Zahidi, a managing director at the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, emphasized the heightened geopolitical risks and the potential for conflicts to escalate or spread. Zahidi also pointed out that societal risks, such as inequality, remain at the forefront of global concerns. She noted that polarization within societies is hardening views and influencing policy-making, further exacerbating the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
The report underscores the increasing challenges posed by Generative AI, which enables the creation and distribution of false content at a large scale. This technological advancement poses a formidable challenge to efforts aimed at combating misinformation.
In terms of geo-economic confrontation, the report cites recent research on the vulnerability of 173 countries to restrictive U.S. trade measures. South Korea emerges as the most at-risk nation due to concerns over trade deficits, market access restrictions, and existing tariffs. Other countries, including China, Japan, Canada, and India, are also identified as being at risk.
The forum’s Executive Opinion Survey reveals that geo-economic confrontation is a significant concern in Eastern Asia. In Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong, economic risks are ranked as the third-most significant concern in their two-year outlooks. Twelve other economies, such as Japan and South Korea, also rank geo-economic confrontation among their top ten risks.
The report warns that while Eastern Asia may be immediately impacted by new trade restrictions, the broader global geo-economic fragmentation could affect all economies, with emerging markets and low-income countries suffering the most.
Looking ahead, the survey indicates that misinformation and disinformation are perceived as the biggest risks in the short term, extending to 2027. Extreme weather and armed conflict follow, while societal polarization, cyber espionage, and warfare are also cited as significant threats. Over the long term, climate change-related risks, such as extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse, dominate the outlook up to 2037.
In Southeast Asia, respondents express concerns about artificial intelligence (AI), ranking it as the fourth-biggest long-term risk, following critical changes to Earth systems, extreme weather, and biodiversity loss. Misinformation and disinformation are also seen as major risks in the region.
The report highlights the increasing prevalence of misinformation and disinformation, complicating the geopolitical environment. It notes that false content can influence voter intentions, sow doubt about conflict zones, and tarnish the image of products or services from other countries. The proliferation of AI-generated content further complicates the ability to discern between human and AI-generated misinformation.
The report also draws attention to the growing information risks in the biotech sector, where biohackers tout health remedies or performance-enhancing procedures. It stresses the importance of a collaborative educational effort to enhance public understanding of biotech and its associated risks.