World Economic Forum warns of AI threats in annual risks report

Technological risks, including adverse outcomes of artificial intelligence technologies, remain “under the radar” and low in the ranking of top risk concerns for the next two years, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025, published Wednesday.

But complacency around AI technologies should be avoided given their ubiquity and the fast-paced nature of change in the field, the WEF said in the report.

Adverse outcomes of AI technologies declined to 31st place in the short-term risk ranking from 29th last year but was the sixth most-significant risk in the 10-year outlook.

Meanwhile, misinformation and disinformation pose the most significant risk in the short term for the second year running, based on the survey of 900 global risk experts, policymakers and leaders.

AI tools enable such information to proliferate through video, images, voice and text, and leading creators of false or misleading content include state actors in some countries, the report said.

Cyber espionage and warfare ranked fifth in the two-year outlook, reflecting growing unease.

War and terrorism and extreme weather events are the most severe immediate risks this year, while environmental risks continue to dominate long-term concerns, the WEF said in the report.

The last year has seen “the expansion and escalation of conflicts, a multitude of extreme weather events amplified by climate change, widespread societal and political polarization, and continued technological advancements accelerating the spread of false or misleading information,” the report said.

Twenty-three percent of respondents ranked state-based armed conflict as the top risk for 2025, and this risk rose from fifth to third place over the two-year horizon.

The risk of further destabilizing consequences following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as in the Middle East and Sudan, is likely to amplify respondents’ concerns beyond this year, the report said.

The report was produced in partnership with Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. and Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.