AI technologies is low in the risk ranking. In fact, it has slightly declined in the two-year outlook, with the risk now ranking #31 compared with #29 in last year’s report. However, complacency around the risks of such technologies should be avoided given the fast-paced change in the field of AI and its increasing ubiquity. In this report we highlight how AI models are a factor in the relationship between technology and polarization. Section 1.5: Technology and polarization explores the risks for citizens resulting from the combination of greater connectivity, rapid growth in computing power, and more powerful AI models. In Section 2.4: Losing control of biotech? we highlight the role of AI in accelerating developments in this field, for both good and bad. Respondents also express unease over Cyber espionage and warfare, which is #5 in the two-year ranking, echoing concerns outlined in the World Economic Forum's 2024 Chief Risk Officers Outlook, where 71% of Chief Risk Officers expressed concern about the impact of Cyber risk and criminal activity (money laundering, cybercrime etc.) severely impacting their organizations. The rising likelihood of threat actor activity and more sophisticated technological disruption were noted as particular concerns.6 Elevated cyber risk perceptions are one aspect of a broader environment of heightened geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions, which is reflected in the two-year ranking of State-based armed conflict moving up from #5 in last year’s report to #3 now. The risk of further destabilizing consequences in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan are likely to be amplifying respondents’ concerns. In a world that has been seeing an increasing number of armed conflicts for a decade, as detailed in Section 1.3: "Geopolitical recession", national security considerations are increasingly dominating government agendas. That section of the report dives deep into the dangers of unilateralism taking hold, including its implications for deepening humanitarian crises. Overall, the GRPS risks with some of the sharpest rises in ranking compared to the previous year are geostrategic in nature. Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons or hazards (#23) and Geoeconomic confrontation (#9) are up eight and five positions, respectively, since the GRPS 2023-24. Section 1.4: Supercharged economic tensions explores how global geoeconomic tensions could unfold over the next two years. Private-sector concern with the two-year outlook for Geoeconomic confrontation has moved up from last year’s edition of the report, where it was not a top 10 risk; it now is #6. There is also concern among both governments and academia, who rank this risk #9 and #10, respectively (Figure 1.7). Extreme weather eventsMisinformation and disinformation Cyber espionage and warfareSocietal polarizationMisinformation and disinformation Extreme weather eventsState-based armed conﬂictSocietal polarizationMisinformation and disinformation Extreme weather events Societal polarization PollutionExtreme weather eventsState-based armed conﬂict Misinformation and disinformation Societal polarization State-based armed conﬂict Cyber espionage and warfareState-based armed conﬂict Cyber espionage and warfarePollution Geoeconomic confrontationInequality Crime and illict economic activityPollution Debt Crime and illicit economic activityInvoluntary migration or displacementInequality Crime and illicit economic activityInvoluntary migration or displacementCyber espionage and warfareInvoluntary migration or displacement Geoeconomic confrontationPollution Erosion of human rights and/or civic freedomsPollution Inequality Inequality Geoeconomic confrontationErosion of human rights and/or civic freedomsExtreme weather events Misinformation and disinformation Societal polarization State-based armed conﬂict Pollution Erosion of human rights and/or civic freedoms Inequality Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse Cyber espionage and warfare Natural resource shortagesCivil societyInternational organizations Academia Government Private sector 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10thGlobal risks over the short term (2 years), by stakeholder group FIGURE 1.7 Source World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2024-2025.Risk categories Economic Environmental Geopolitical Societal Technological Global Risks Report 2025 17