'Authoritarianism is Easier in a World of Total Visibility': WEF Report - The Sociable

Weather wars, authoritarian surveillance, social control, and more are "Future Shocks" that could fundamentally destabilize the world as we know it, according to the WEF. The World Economic Forum (WEF) is currently underway in Davos, Switzerland, but a week before the event, the WEF Global Risks Report 2019 was published identifying weather manipulation tools, social control through biometric surveillance, AI "woebots" that can feed on human emotions, and more as "Future Shocks" that could forever alter the course of human history. "Authoritarianism is easier in a world of total visibility and traceability" The WEF report for 2019 lists 10 "Future Shocks," which are not predictions, but rather "food for thought and action" about current technologies and trends that have the potential to shake up society, for good or ill, in the very near future. Since we at The Sociable like to focus on the technological side of things, especially as how it relates to social impact, let's take a closer look at the Future Shocks that pertain more to technology. "Weather manipulation tools-- such as cloud seeding to induce or suppress rain--are not new" Make no mistake, weather manipulation tools do exist, yet not a single government or group has claimed responsibility for using this technology as a weapon.