Just when you thought things were starting to calm down and President Donald Trump was making headway on a potential ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, it seems the internet is obsessed with more doomsaying.
There's been plenty of chatter about World War Three, with Donald Trump himself warning about the impending dangers of a global conflict. With a mounting list of potential factors that could lead to WWIII, things aren't exactly being calmed down by Elon Musk reportedly asking to see plans on the US' plans to tackle China, or those leaked Signal messages about attacks on Yemen.
In fact, some think we're already in the midst of a 'shadow war' with Russia but just don't know it yet. Now, the Atlantic Council has predicted what the world will look like in 2035...if it’s not been nuked into oblivion.
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Speaking to more than 350 experts who are political strategists and foresight practitioners, the report reveals what we could be facing in the next decade. Covering climate change, potential economic downturns, and even the chance of another global pandemic, a new question for the Global Foresight 2025 survey was whether they thought we'd face another World War between now and then. 40.5% of those asked admitted they thought there would be, meaning the odds aren't looking too rosy.
The study highlights political unrest between Europe and the Middle East, the United States and China, and goes on to list cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran as potential triggers.
Historian and former US diplomat Philip Zelikow claims there's up to a 30% probability that we're heading toward 'worldwide warfare', with a 'period of maximum danger' set to come within the next one to three years.
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Returning to the idea of WWII, 48% of overall respondents and 63% of those predicting a global conflict said they expected nuclear weapons to be used this time around.
It's not just Earth that's in danger of being turned into a battleground, as 45% of overall people asked (60% of those predicting WWIII) expect things to lead to a conflict in space.
As for the spark that ignites the whole thing, it's no coincidence that 65% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that China will try to forcibly retake Taiwan before 2035. Could this be what triggers a war with the USA?
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Elsewhere, confidence about the USA has seemingly dipped, with 49% saying America will no longer be the world's dominant economic power in 2035. This is down from 52% thinking it would be in 2024's survey.
When asked about what the single biggest threat to prosperity is expected to be in 2035, 29.9% said they fear climate change. This only narrowly beat the idea of a war between major powers, which came in at 27.6%.
No matter which way you look at it, humans look like they'll be to blame for the concerning state of the world over the next decade. This is all hypothetical, but still, it lines up with 62% of respondents suggesting the world will be in a worse off place than it is now by the time we get to 2035. On the brighter side, 58% of those who took part said they thought artificial intelligence would have a positive impact on the world, so maybe it won't all be Terminator 2: Judgement Day.