Gartner: AI Discovery of Cyber Vulnerabilities, a Top Emerging Risk

AI-enabled discovery of cyber vulnerabilities emerged as the most critical emerging risk facing organizations worldwide in the second quarter of 2026, according to Gartner.

“The ability of AI to increase the efficiency and accessibility of vulnerability discovery is making it increasingly difficult for traditional risk management approaches to keep pace,” said Senior Principal Analyst Kevin Mercado. “Without corresponding improvements in governance, security operations, and remediation capabilities, AI-driven vulnerability discovery may outpace organizational defenses, increasing the likelihood of significant cyber incidents and operational disruption.”

While many organizations express confidence in their preparedness for AI-driven cyber threats, the speed and sophistication of AI innovation mean that vulnerabilities can be discovered and weaponized faster than ever, requiring organizations to be more agile and proactive in their response.

To maintain true preparedness, Gartner recommends that technology advisers and clients recalibrate risk impact assessments to account for amplified exposures, strengthen third-party risk controls to ensure vendors are not introducing new risks, and accelerate cyber response strategies to enable faster patching and automated remediation to keep pace with the speed of AI-driven threats.

Beyond cyber vulnerabilities, the report also highlights the prevalence of agentic AI, which involves autonomous systems that operate beyond organizational oversight, and the growing threat to information integrity posed by unreliable data and AI-generated content. In addition, many organizations continue to face significant gaps in workforce preparedness for AI-related technologies, while geopolitical shocks remain a disruptive force in global energy supply chains.

To address this, organizations should update their AI governance strategies, strengthen workforce planning to close AI skill gaps, and adapt risk management practices to keep pace with a rapidly changing environment, according to Gartner.

“AI’s growing capabilities are creating new and complex challenges for cybersecurity, operational resilience and organizational trust,” said Mercado. “To anticipate and counter the risks associated with each, leaders must recognize the impact potential and be prepared for better response.”

The Gartner Quarterly Emerging Risk Report series compiles insights and perspectives from enterprise risk management (ERM) leaders, risk professionals, auditors and senior executives on emerging and future risks. In this latest report, Gartner surveyed 316 senior executives and risk managers across a range of sectors and regions in April and May 2026. Gartner clients can read more in “2Q26 Emerging Risk Report.” and nonclients can read the Quarterly Emerging Risks Report.

Channel Impact^®
Appearing for the first time in Gartner’s Quarterly Emerging Risks Report, the Issue highlights how AI is rapidly evolving the corporate risk landscape.