Artificial intelligence and big data have overtaken climate change as the risk that experts worldwide are most worried about, driven by growing concern over side effects such as the misuse of personal data and human rights violations as AI spreads rapidly.
Experts around the world named "AI and big data" as the risk likely to have the greatest impact over the next five to 10 years, according to the 2026 AXA Future Risks Report, published on the 19th by AXA Group with global market research firm Ipsos. The risk climbed three places from fourth last year, displacing climate change for the first time after it had ranked first for seven consecutive years. Among the general public, AI and big data jumped to second this year from seventh a year earlier.
The survey polled 4,345 insurance experts in 62 countries and 24,000 members of the general public in 19 countries. After AI and big data, experts cited climate change, geopolitical instability, cybersecurity and the energy crisis as the top future risks. The general public ranked climate change as the biggest risk.
Ethical issues drew the greatest concern regarding AI. Some 34% of both experts and general-public respondents pointed to human rights violations, data misuse and bias as major risks. The impact on the job market and the "black box effect," in which AI decision-making cannot easily be explained, were also raised. Among experts who selected AI-related risks as a major concern, 54% said the risks were growing quickly, but only 9% said governments and regulators were sufficiently prepared.
Korean experts also named AI and big data as the biggest future risk. Cybersecurity, which ranked fourth in the global expert survey, came in second in Korea. The gap suggests relatively heightened wariness in Korea about security threats in the digital environment, including ransomware, personal data leaks and extortion.
AXA Group also stressed the importance of prevention in responding to emerging risks. Some 85% of experts and members of the general public said major risks could be at least partly reduced through preventive measures. Among the general public, 68% said insurers play an important role in protecting society from new risks.
"The risk environment is becoming more complex, with AI, cyber threats and climate change," said Hans Branken, chief executive of AXA General Insurance. "Based on research and analysis of global risks, we will strengthen prevention-focused protection for our customers."