Technology research firm Gartner Inc. reported "AI-enabled discovery of cyber vulnerabilities" was the top emerging risk, based on a survey it conducted in April and May of more than 300 senior executives and risk managers around the world.
It was the first time the leaders had identified the specific risk in one of the firm's surveys, which are conducted quarterly, Gartner said.
"The rapid advancement of AI in identifying vulnerabilities is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape," Kevin Mercado, a senior principal analyst in Gartner's risk and audit practice, said in a statement.
Mercado advised organizations to "evolve their risk management strategies to match the pace of AI-driven threats, or risk falling behind in their defense efforts."
The concern among the surveyed leaders is that the rapid development of AI will uncover an organizations cyber weaknesses that were previously unknown and that the organizations will be ill-prepared to handle it, the report said.
One cause of the problem is that AI systems can now independently scan vulnerabilities on a widespread level, faster than organizations can oversee the systems, according to the report. Also, AI models are being deployed so quickly that the environments in which they're operating are insufficiently tested, Gartner said.
Another root cause is that AI is being integrated into other computer systems, which adds to the complexity of the design and makes it harder to see what's happening, according to the report.
Gartner said organizations are risking unauthorized access to their sensitive data and intellectual property, high remediation costs, and reduced returns on their investment in AI, among other problems.
The report also noted organization leaders were worried about other risks related to AI, including those stemming from agentic AI — the type of artificial intelligence that completes multiple tasks on its own as it pursues a goal.
Shadow agents, or AI agents that aren't authorized by an organization, are proliferating because it has become so easy to create autonomous agents and use them across business units, Gartner said.
Surveyed leaders also said they worry AI is having a negative impact on employee training. AI is being adopted faster than organizations can train workers to use it, and there is a shortage of AI specialists and talent, according to the report. Another cause of those workplace woes is poor communication from leadership about AI, which leads to resistance among employees, confusion and uneven adoption, Gartner said.
--Editing by Lakshna Mehta.
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