The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 warns that geoeconomic confrontation and great-power competition now top the near-term threat list, with AI disruption rising as a structural risk.
Respondents to the WEF survey rank geoeconomic confrontation and economic warfare above state conflict, misinformation, and climate change in terms of near-term global risk severity.
The report also flags accelerating artificial intelligence and quantum advances as emerging threats to jobs, inequality, and geopolitical stability, with AI risk surging up the long-term rankings.
These findings arrive ahead of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, where leaders are expected to debate tariffs, debt, and technology governance amid growing fragmentation and fears of a “new age of competition.”
Global Risks Report Highlights Shifting Threat Landscape
Competition between world powers and economic conflicts have been identified as the most significant threats facing the global community in the near term, according to a new report released Wednesday. The World Economic Forum published its annual Global Risks Report, outlining key challenges expected to emerge over the next several years. The report surveyed respondents about anticipated risks over a two-year horizon, with approximately half identifying economic warfare and geopolitical competition as primary concerns.
The findings indicate a significant shift in the global risk landscape, with interstate tensions and economic disruption taking precedence among identified threats. The report also highlighted artificial intelligence-related disruptions as a significant emerging risk factor. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report is released annually and surveys global experts, business leaders, and policymakers to assess the most pressing threats to international stability and economic security.
Details regarding specific policy recommendations and the full scope of identified risks were not immediately available. The organization typically presents the report ahead of its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.