The Global Risks Report 2017

The Global Risks Report 2017 identifies five gravity centres shaping global risk: slow economic growth and inequality, societal polarization and identity politics, the disruptive impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the strain on global cooperation, and the urgency of environmental action. It highlights a growing backlash against globalization and the status quo, particularly in Western democracies, and warns that the convergence of technological change and social fragility could undermine political stability. The report emphasizes the need for agile governance of emerging technologies like AI and biotechnologies, and calls for a systemic approach to managing critical physical infrastructure and the global environmental commons.

• The report argues that technological change, rather than globalization, is a more significant driver of industrial decline and deteriorating labour-market prospects in advanced economies.
• There is a perceived crisis in Western democracy driven by rapid economic and technological change, deepening social and cultural polarization, and the emergence of 'post-truth' political debate.
• The 'closing of civic space' is a global trend where governments restrict the activities of civil society organizations through regulatory burdens, surveillance, and physical violence.
• Social protection systems are under severe strain due to demographic pressures, low interest rates, the rise of the 'gig economy', and the displacement of labour by automation.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, along with biotechnologies, are identified as the emerging technologies most in need of better governance.
• The report warns that the weaponization of AI in autonomous weapon systems (AWS) could lead to a new arms race and undermine global strategic stability by neutralizing defensive systems.
• Environmental risks, specifically extreme weather events, water crises, and the failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation, are consistently ranked as high-impact and high-likelihood.
• The World Bank forecasts that water scarcity could put 6% of GDP at risk by 2050 in regions such as the Middle East and the Sahel.
• The report notes a decline in global cooperation, with states withdrawing from international mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court and the Paris Climate Change agreement.
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution is increasing the interdependence of physical infrastructure networks, which raises the risk of systemic failures cascading across different sectors.

APA

World Economic Forum (2017). The Global Risks Report 2017. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GRR17_Report_web.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. The Global Risks Report 2017. 2017. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GRR17_Report_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=The Global Risks Report 2017 |date=2017 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GRR17_Report_web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2017global, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{The Global Risks Report 2017}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2017}, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GRR17_Report_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }