The World Economic Forum: Disinformation Is the #1 Global Risk

The World Economic Forum now recognizes the urgency of narrative attacks, including misinformation and disinformation, as the #1 global risk, according to their Global Risks Report 2024. The potential for AI-generated misinformation and disinformation to stoke societal divisions is particularly concerning. The connection between fabricated information and social unrest will ramp up during upcoming global elections in major countries in the next two years, said Form spokesperson Saadia Zahidi in a recent statement. 

“An unstable global order characterized by polarizing narratives and insecurity, the worsening impacts of extreme weather and economic uncertainty are causing accelerating risks – including misinformation and disinformation – to propagate,” said Zahidi. “World leaders must come together to address short-term crises as well as lay the groundwork for a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive future.” 

The report urges global leaders to revamp their strategies for mitigating emerging risks, particularly emphasizing the need for international agreements on AI’s role in conflict resolution. Beyond global cooperation, the report also highlights the importance of bolstering resilience at individual and state levels. This includes initiatives like digital literacy campaigns to combat misinformation and advancing research in climate modeling and energy transition technologies. Both public and private sectors are seen as key players in these efforts.

“What is most impactful about this report is that global organizations now see the problem of narrative attacks and disinformation just like Blackbird.AI has since its inception in 2017,” said Wasim Khaled, Blackbird.AI co-founder and CEO. “This study highlights how the problem started and how it metastasized. We agree with WEF that world leaders must work on solutions to a problem already having a large technological, environmental, geopolitical, and social impact. Our team looks forward to working with organizations that want to be proactive in protecting themselves from these narrative attacks so they can make better strategic decisions when they happen.”