Global Risks Report points to fake news as the main threat

The World Economic Forum released the “2024 Global Risks Report”, which brings together two decades of global risk perception data. For the current document, 1400 risk experts, politicians and industry leaders were consulted.

Among the main results, the entity points out that the wave of false news (fake news) carries the main risks in the short term along with issues involving security and armed conflicts, while climate change (also present in the short term) is the biggest concern in the long term.

“In a context of systemic changes in global power dynamics, climate, technology and demographics, global risks are pushing the world’s ability to adapt to its limits”, the document states.

read more: 2024: the hottest year in history exceeds critical threshold of 1.5°C

According to experts, at least two thirds of them, the world tends to move towards a multipolar (fragmented) order in the next decade, in which large and medium powers compete and impose their rules and norms.

In this understanding, in the next ten years there is the possibility of some global catastrophe occurring. For 30%, this risk already knocks on the door, occurring within two years.

Check below the 10 main risks brought by the report for 2 and 10 year scenarios

Risks 2 years

1. Misinformation and false information;

2. Extreme weather events;

3. Social polarization;

4. Cybersecurity;

5. Interstate armed conflicts;

6. Lack of economic opportunities

7. Inflation;

8. Involuntary migration;

9. Economic recession;

10. Pollution.

10 year risks

1. Extreme weather events;

2. Critical changes in Earth systems;

3. Loss of biodiversity and collapse of ecosystems;

4. Scarcity of natural resources;

5. Misinformation and false information;

6. Adverse results of Artificial Intelligence technologies;

7. Involuntary migration;

8. Cybersecurity;

9. Social polarization;

10. Pollution.

The experts consulted call for new approaches and quick solutions since cooperation through current global governance does not provide support for resolving the issues that arise.

According to the Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, Saadia Zahidi, “An unstable global order characterized by polarized narratives and insecurity, the worsening impacts of extreme weather events, and economic uncertainty are giving rise to the spread of accelerated risks, including misinformation and misinformation.”

*With information from the World Economic Forum