FACT CHECK: No, The World Economic Forum Did Not Declare That ‘God Is Dead.’
A post shared on Instagram claims that World Economic Forum (WEF) leaders declared “God is dead” and the organization had acquired “divine powers.”
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Verdict: False
There is no evidence anyone from the WEF made such a declaration. The story was originally posted by a website known for spreading misinformation.
Fact Check:
WEF chair Klaus Schwab declared on Chinese state TV that the country was a “model for many nations,” highlighting the nation’s economic advances, according to Fox News. The organization also issued a report suggesting cryptocurrencies could now become more regulated following a $2 trillion loss in 2022, the WEF said.
The Instagram post claims the WEF had declared god as “dead” and that the organization now had “divine powers.” The post features a video of a woman reviewing an alleged article covering the claims as well as other reports. “Klaus Schwab: ‘God Is Dead,’” the article reads. “The WEF is ‘Acquiring Divine Powers.'”
This claim is false, however. There are no credible news reports to suggest that the WEF made such a statement. The man who was also highlighted in the article, Yuval Noah Harari, does not work for the organization, but did speak at a 2020 event in Davos, Switzerland.
In the speech, Harari did state that artificial intelligence would give humans “godlike abilities to reengineer life, and even to create completely new life-forms.” He also stated that the technology could be considered “divine powers of creation,” but at no point does he declare “god is dead.”
The article was written by NewsPunch, a website that frequently spreads misinformation. Check Your Fact has previously debunked several other claims stemming from NewsPunch. The site has been criticized for spreading misinformation by FactCheck.org and Poynter.
Check Your Fact has reached out to the WEF for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received. (RELATED: Did U.S. Forces Arrest WEF Leader Connected To Genocide?)
This is not the first time misinformation involving the WEF has spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim that WEF leader Klaus Schwab was arrested for genocide.
