Report finds artificial intelligence is accelerating cyber threats, reshaping defenses, and shifting executive risk priorities.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) released its Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report, outlining trends in cyber risk, including the accelerating role of artificial intelligence (AI) in both cyber defense and cyberattacks. 

Key takeaways

• 94% of respondents said artificial intelligence will have the greatest impact on cybersecurity in 2026.
• 87% identified AI-related vulnerabilities as the fastest-growing cyber risk.
• 64% of organizations now have processes to assess the security of AI systems, up from 37% the previous year.
• 73% of respondents reported experiencing cyber-enabled fraud in 2025, with AI cited as a contributing factor.

According to the WEF, 94% of respondents expect AI to significantly affect both cyber defense capabilities and the threatscape over the coming year. The report states that organizations are embracing AI and automation at scale, even as governance frameworks and human expertise struggle to keep pace. While 64% now have processes for assessing AI security (up from 37% in 2024), about one-third still lack any validation processes before deployment.

Further, AI-related vulnerabilities were identified by 87% of respondents as the fastest-growing category of cyber risk. The report indicates that data leaks via genAI (34%) and improved adversarial capabilities (29%), such as phishing and malware development, are the top two concerns.

The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 also documents the growing scale of cyber-enabled fraud, which the report links in part to AI-enabled social engineering and automation. 73% of respondents said they or their organization experienced cyber-enabled fraud in 2025. The report notes that chief executive officers increasingly rank cyber-enabled fraud as a top organizational concern, while chief information security officers continue to prioritize ransomware and supply chain attacks, highlighting a potential boardroom disparity in security priorities.

About the report

The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 examines how AI adoption, geopolitical fragmentation, and uneven cyber resilience are reshaping cybersecurity. The document draws on a survey of executives and industry experts to identify emerging trends and risks that will affect organizations and economies in the coming year. The report was published in collaboration with Accenture.