A wave of artificial intelligence-driven misinformation and disinformation that could influence key looming elections poses the biggest short-term threat to the global economy, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has said.
In its annual global risks report, the body that convenes its annual meeting in Davos next week expressed concern that politics could be disrupted by the spread of false information.
The WEF said concerns over the persistent cost of living crisis and the intertwined risks of disinformation and polarised societies dominated the outlook for 2024.
Elections are taking place this year in countries that represent 60% of global GDP, including Britain, the US, the EU and India, and the WEF said the nexus between falsified information and societal unrest would take centre stage during campaigns.
Looking ahead over a longer 10-year period, extreme weather events and climate change were named as the most pressing risks by the experts polled by the WEF.
“An unstable global order characterised by polarising narratives and insecurity, the worsening impacts of extreme weather and economic uncertainty are causing accelerating risks – including misinformation and disinformation – to propagate,” said Saadia Zahidi, a managing director of the WEF.
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“World leaders must come together to address short-term crises as well as lay the groundwork for a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive future.”
