The latest World Economic Forum Risk Report paints a stark picture: AI-powered fake news and misinformation are now the biggest threats we’ll face in the next two years. And it’s not hard to see why.

Why This Matters Right Now

AI tools, especially generative AI, are making it incredibly easy to create fake content that looks real. Combine this with how divided many societies are, and you’ve got a recipe for trouble. These AI systems aren’t just churning out fake text – they’re creating convincing fake videos, doctored images, and even cloned voices that can fool most people.
Think about it: when was the last time you questioned whether a video or image you saw online was real? Now, imagine that problem multiplied by thousands of AI tools creating content 24/7.

What Could Go Wrong?

If we don’t get a handle on this soon, by 2035, we might be looking at a world where nobody knows what to believe anymore. The WEF report suggests this isn’t just about annoying fake news – it’s about the very foundations of how we trust information. Here’s what’s at stake:

• Our ability to run fair elections
• How we share crucial health information
• The stability of our financial markets
• How countries work together
• The essential trust between people in communities

What Can We Do About It?

The good news? We’re not helpless. The report points to several practical steps that could make a real difference:

Teaching Digital Street Smarts
It’s not enough to know how to use technology anymore. People need to learn how to spot AI-generated content and determine which sources to trust. Think of it as developing a “fake news radar.”

Better Ways to Prove Content is Real
We need better tools to verify where content comes from—like a digital fingerprint for photos, videos, and articles. Some companies are already working on ways to mark content as AI-generated or authentic.

Clear Rules for AI
We need sensible guidelines for how AI should be developed and used – rules that protect people without killing innovation. Think of it as setting up traffic laws for the AI highway.

What Organizations Need to Do
Companies and organizations can’t just sit this one out. Here’s what they should be doing:

• Getting serious about fact-checking
• Training their people to spot fake content
• Using tech that helps verify information
• Helping create industry-wide standards
• Being open about how they use AI

Looking Forward

Let’s be honest: AI-powered misinformation is a massive challenge, but it’s not the end of the world. The key is taking action now while we can still shape how this technology develops.

Success here doesn’t mean we all become tech experts. It means working together—businesses, governments, schools, and regular people—to build a future where AI helps us understand the world better, not confuses us more.

We’ve dealt with significant technological changes before. The difference this time is that we can see the challenge coming. Now, we just need to step up and deal with it.

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Click here to download the WEF Global Risk Report 2025.