WEF: AI Misinformation, Disinformation Greatest Short-Term Threat

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Facts

• In its 2024 global risk report, which surveyed over 1.4K experts and leaders, the World Economic Forum (WEF) says the spread of artificial intelligence (AI)-related disinformation and misinformation is the biggest threat over the next two years, particularly regarding upcoming elections in 75 countries, including the US, South Africa, Mexico, and India.¹
• The report argues that 'easy-to-use' AI models have 'already enabled' disinformation, including threats ranging from 'sophisticated voice cloning to counterfeit websites.' While other global threats, such as climate change, were ranked higher in the ten-year outlook, AI-related 'falsified information' ranked above the climate and societal polarization in the short term.²
• This conclusion was reached with 53% labeling AI-generated false information as one of the greatest threats in the coming two years, while 46% said it could lead to more polarization as well as a rise in conflicts, particularly in countries with struggling economies. However, a much smaller 16% feared that governments would respond to this threat by way of censorship.³
• Dis- and misinformation were also ranked in the middle of the ten-year outlook, though it was placed behind extreme weather events, critical change to earth systems, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, and natural resource shortages. Other short-term threats include cyber security, interstate armed conflict, lack of economic opportunity, inflation, and forced displacement, among others.⁴
• While two-thirds of respondents expressed concern over climate change, there was a divide between private and public sector respondents concerning the urgency of the issue, with the private sector's opinion being that it poses a longer-term risk and government and civil society taking the opposite view.⁵
• WEF managing director Saadia Zahidi attributed the report's predominantly negative concerns to 'economic hardship.' However, while she noted that 'Inequality is on the rise' and some have seen a drop in 'living standards,' she emphasized that the survey shouldn't be seen as a 'crystal ball' with 'set predictions.'⁶

Sources: ¹Wall Street Journal, ²WEF, ³Euronews, ⁴CNBC, ⁵Guardian and ⁶CNN.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by World Economic Forum. The world is heading down a very dark short- and long-term path. We all know that the climate catastrophes awaiting us years from now are something to watch out for, but in the meantime — if we want to have the tools to tackle such long-term threats — the international community must first deter the threats of AI and its ability to blur fact and fiction. Nefarious actors from governments, private organizations, and criminal groups will all seek to sway public opinion in the upcoming election years, which calls for immediate concrete defense mechanisms.
• Narrative B, as provided by Bloomberg. While the risks of AI shouldn't be ignored, this charged report — which echoes the fearmongering of many leading experts — overblows the technology's role in the spread of false information, which has been an issue long before AI came to the forefront. Rather than pushing AI doomerism, there should be a focus on tackling the core issue that fuels mis- and disinformation: The erosion of the public's trust in foundational institutions that, once synonymous with impartiality, no longer are.

Predictions