On social media and in conspiracy theories, Yuval Noah Harari is often portrayed as Klaus Schwab’s “chief advisor” and the “mastermind” behind the World Economic Forum (WEF). These labels are accompanied by frightening quotes such as “the era of free will is over” and “people can be ‘hacked’ and controlled.” Some of these statements are distorted or misattributed information; others are honest excerpts from Harari’s public speeches taken out of context. Below is a detailed analysis: who he is, what his real connections to the WEF and Schwab are, what exactly he said about “hacking” people and free will, and what facts are important to understand in order to distinguish fact from fiction.
Who is Yuval Noah Harari — in brief
Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli historian, professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and author of international bestsellers (Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Nexus). His popularity is based on broad historical generalizations and predictions about the future of humanity, technology, and biology. Harari regularly speaks at international forums and gives interviews to journalists and technology communities.
Connection with Klaus Schwab and the WEF — what is true and what is not
Truth: Harari is a frequent guest speaker and participant at WEF events (Davos and the Forum’s online platforms). His texts or speeches have sometimes been published or quoted by the WEF. He has interacted with representatives of the forum and spoken to audiences associated with the WEF.
What is false: The claim that Harari is Klaus Schwab’s “chief advisor,” “right-hand man,” or a full-time employee of the WEF is untrue. A WEF representative directly refuted statements such as “he works for the WEF” or “he is Schwab’s right-hand man”: the presence of a biography on the forum’s website only means that the person has spoken at an event, not that he is a staff member or personal advisor. Fact checks by Reuters and AP also concluded that such labels are incorrect.
“We are becoming hackable animals” — what exactly did Harari say?
In a number of interviews and speeches, Harari emphasized the danger that the combination of biological data and algorithms could give corporations and states the ability to predict and control human behavior. Phrases that are often quoted in a provocative way — such as “we are becoming hackable animals” — do indeed appear in his public speeches and writings. However, it is important to understand the context: he warns of the risks and calls for regulation, rather than describing this as a desirable goal.
Examples: In interviews and speeches, Harari has said that technology (especially AI combined with biological data) can learn more about a person than they know about themselves, and use this information to manipulate their behavior. He called this “hacking” in a figurative sense — as a warning.
“The era of free will is over” — sounds scary, but the accuracy is questionable
Variations of the quote “the era of free will is over” are circulating on the internet, along with claims that Harari declared the end of free will or called for total control. Fact checks by Reuters and other resources note that no direct attribution of such a statement in the form of a declaration could be found, but that individual excerpts and reinterpretations are widely circulated. At the same time, Harari does discuss arguments that the traditional idea of “free will” is being challenged in the era of big data and neuroscience: he does not claim that people are completely deprived of free will, but reflects on the consequences if algorithms learn to predict and direct people’s choices.
Transhumanism — should Harari be considered a transhumanist?
Harari often discusses topics related to transhumanism: genome editing, neurointerfaces, the digitization of life, and the possibility of “enhancing” human capabilities. Some critics and media projects describe his thoughts on the future as “transhumanist.” But the label alone does not fully describe his position: Harari more often acts as an analyst and forecaster who lists possible directions for development and warns of ethical and political risks, rather than as an organized transhumanist activist promoting a program of change.
Conflicts, distortions, and fake attributed statements
Many loud phrases attributed to Harari on social media (e.g., “we can control millions at once,” “a person can be hacked into complete submission,” or “anti-globalists/conspiracy theorists must be destroyed/eliminated”) are either taken out of context or have been verified and found to be false. Reuters and AP have produced several fact-checking articles refuting or clarifying such statements and explicitly stating that Harari is not an employee of the WEF and did not make a number of the calls attributed to him.
How to understand alarming quotes — recommendations
Distinguish between warnings and intentions. Harari often talks about how technology provides opportunities for control — but in the context of warnings and calls for regulation, not as a recipe for action.
Check the source. If the quote comes in the form of an image/social media post, look for the original (video, transcript, interview). A lot of misinformation arises when quotes are reproduced secondarily. Reuters and AP are good examples of Harari fact-checking.
Look at the context of the speech. At conferences and in interviews, Harari often uses bold, figurative language to draw attention to risks — reading such metaphors literally can distort their meaning.
The bottom line — what is really important to know
Harari is an influential public intellectual and popularizer of ideas about the future of technology and society, but he is not Klaus Schwab’s “staff” chief advisor and does not “work for the WEF” in that sense.
He did warn that the combination of big data, AI, and bioinformation creates the possibility of “hacking” human behavior, and he discussed philosophical questions about free will; these ideas are the subject of serious debate, not just a “conspiracy.”