Trend Rising concern over AI, frontier technology and tech-driven power concentration

Summary

Respondents rated AI and frontier technologies and technology-driven power concentration as far larger global threats than in 2024. Both risks climbed five places in the importance ranking. By region, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia placed both among its top ten risks, while in Europe and Northern America AI and frontier technologies also made it into the top ten for the first time. The multilateral system, already weakened by funding constraints, was judged especially unready for technological risks, with a shortage of data and information named as a major difficulty. In his preface the UN Secretary-General singled out AI as a field where the pace of innovation runs ahead of the capacity to govern it. Because understanding of these risks remains weak, the report treats them as a critical vulnerability.