AI-Enhanced Malicious Attacks, Misinformation Top Emerging Risks For Enterprises

Artificial intelligence-enhanced malicious attacks, for the third consecutive quarter, are the top emerging risk for enterprises in the third quarter of 2024, according to a recent survey by research and consulting firm Gartner Inc.

Al-assisted misinformation was the second most commonly cited emerging risk in the quarter. IT vendor criticality and an unsettled regulatory and legal environment are among the new emerging enterprise risks, while escalating political polarisation continues to be an emerging risk.

Gartner during the third quarter of 2024 surveyed senior risk and assurance executives and managers to examine and compare emerging risks, which are those whose effects may not yet have been realised by enterprises but have the potential for significant impact.

According to Gartner experts, beyond politics, global events such as the July CrowdStrike outage have raised questions about whether organisations over-rely on their largest IT vendors. Organisations with a concentration of services with one vendor may face elevated risk in the event of outages, or they may face unanticipated changes in services depending on new regulations.

Two of the top five most cited emerging risks are in the technology category, and two reflect political concern related to uncertainty around the regulatory and legal environment. Misaligned organisational talent profile was the fifth most cited risk in the third quarter.

Beyond the usual legal and regulatory impacts, additional risks related to talent and employment laws, economic policies, and their trade and supply chain implications can also affect outcomes for enterprises, the survey showed.