Digital technologies have slowly built their way into a pillar of today’s society. However, along with the benefits come certain technological risks worth examining for current and future trajectories.

Benefits and Risks

Digital technologies are deeply ingrained in our lives at this point. We use social media to connect with friends and stay updated on current affairs. Many institutions have been incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline public services and enable frontier technologies in crucial sectors such as healthcare, education, and defense.

With all the benefits that come from advances in digital technology, it is also worth scrutinizing the risks they entail. The Global Risks Report 2026 by the World Economic Forum highlights several technological risks for current and future scenarios. The report was formulated based on a survey of over 1,300 experts across academia, business, government, international organizations, and civil society. 

Most notably, technological risks play a significant role in amplifying divides in society. Misinformation and disinformation placed fifth in the current global risk landscape, and are projected to rise to second place in two years. Nowadays, false narratives and fake images/videos on the internet can easily contaminate public discourse. These instances increase distrust in society, which, in turn, blurs perception, weakens crisis response, and derails decision-making processes. 

Artificial Intelligence Advances

Technological risks are expected to worsen over the next decade, the report further explores. One notable aspect is the adverse outcomes of AI technologies, which are considered one of the most consequential long-term global risks in the survey. The development of AI technologies will hinge on who has sufficient infrastructure and access to reap the benefits, while those who lack the support may face cascading risks.

For instance, concerns arise in the job landscape. AI has been notorious for the potential to take over certain tasks. Additionally, integrating AI-enabled tools requires workers to update their skills to match the new technology. If governments are not prepared to meet these changes with social safety nets or training opportunities, mass unemployment and labor displacement will likely occur. In the long run, this means a lack of economic opportunities, which can trigger social unrest and widespread distrust, creating a vicious cycle of crisis.

Meanwhile, the report also notes the issue of human agency and creativity, which seems to deteriorate in the hands of AI. Unrestricted and unregulated use of generative AI, for instance, could lead to the atrophy of human skills like thinking and empathy, causing feelings of purposelessness and apathy. This adds to the problem of social disconnection and loneliness that seems to be increasingly prevalent in current society and can cause bigger, more severe problems. 

The growing reliance on AI-enabled systems in healthcare, military, and other important sectors also poses risks of misuse and error that can cost human lives. There are risks of discrimination, bias, and errors that can result in inaccurate data and decisions, which are particularly harmful for vulnerable groups like migrants and Indigenous peoples.

Facing Technological Risks 

Addressing risks that arise from digital technology advancement will require extensive effort across multiple sectors, with the participation and collaboration of all relevant stakeholders. 

Governments must first recognize these risks and build a system to address them—through regulations, policies, and frameworks. It is an essential first step to ensure the benefits of technological development are maximized across sectors in all walks of life. In terms of employment, governments must continue to build a skilled and resilient workforce through continuous capacity-building, expanding social protection, and creating jobs.

Meanwhile, tech companies must also bear the brunt of the responsibility by tackling the risks emerging from their products with transparency. The awareness and commitment should be ingrained from the very first phase of development, urged along by government regulations and user demand. 

All in all, societies should also invest in a collective awareness of the state of the world we live in today. And collectively, we must strengthen the social, psychological, and cultural foundation needed to maintain purpose, meaning, and participation in a polycrisis.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

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