Economic confrontation between nations and its consequences topped the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual risk perception survey released Wednesday, replacing armed conflict as the number one concern of the more than 1,300 experts surveyed around the world.
The survey also showed that perceptions of environmental risk fell in the rankings while other concerns returned to the forefront, including fears about the long-term consequences of poor governance of artificial intelligence.
Saadia Zahidi, managing director of the WEF’s annual gathering in Davos due to begin next week, cited rising tariffs, foreign investment controls and tightening controls on the supply of resources such as critical minerals as examples of “geoeconomic confrontation”, which constitute the main risk.
“(This is the case) when economic policy tools essentially become weapons rather than a basis for cooperation,” she said during an online news conference.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” policies have led to a sharp increase in U.S. tariffs around the world and fueled tensions between the United States and China, which dominates the essential minerals sector and is the world’s second-largest economy.
Perceived risks from extreme weather over the next two years fell from 2nd to 4th place and pollution from 6th to 9th place. Anxiety over critical changes to Earth systems and loss of biodiversity fell seven and five positions, respectively.
However, when asked about their strongest concerns over a longer 10-year period, these same respondents ranked these environmental concerns in the top three spots.
Anxiety about “harmful effects of AI technologies” ranked 30th over a two-year horizon, but 5th over a 10-year horizon.
Zahidi said the survey found most concerns focused on how insufficient governance around AI could harm jobs, society and mental health, while seeing it increasingly used as a weapon of war.
The WEF said its annual survey draws on responses from “more than 1,300 global leaders and experts from academia, business, government, international organizations and civil society.”
