#Yoshua Bengio #International AI Safety #AI Safety Report

2026 International AI Safety Report: An Overview

The recent release of the 2026 International AI Safety Report has unveiled crucial insights regarding the swift advancements in artificial intelligence technologies and the risks they pose globally. Chaired by Yoshua Bengio, a renowned Turing Award recipient, this report collates findings from over 100 international experts to provide a scientifically grounded evaluation of general AI capabilities, emerging risks, and current risk management strategies. This second edition of the report not only highlights significant advancements but also warns of the new challenges that accompany these developments.

Key Findings of the Report

One of the most notable observations revealed is the rapid enhancement of general AI capabilities. Elaborating on this, leading AI systems demonstrated remarkable achievements in mathematics, programming, and autonomous operations. In fact, in 2025, standout AI systems achieved gold medals in tasks at the International Mathematics Olympiad and even surpassed the performance of PhD-level experts in scientific benchmarks. Strikingly, certain AI systems could now autonomously tackle software engineering tasks that previously demanded several hours of work from human programmers. Despite these advances, performance remains inconsistent, with systems occasionally failing at seemingly simple tasks.

The report also notes the rapid adoption of AI technologies, which is outpacing previous innovations like personal computers. Currently, 700 million individuals worldwide engage with leading AI systems weekly. However, the adoption rates are uneven, with over half of the populations in some countries utilizing AI, while regions in parts of Africa, Asia, and Latin America see rates under 10%.

Another critical issue discussed is the rise in incidents related to deepfakes. The misuse of AI-generated deepfakes for fraudulent activities is escalating, alongside the growing production of non-consensual intimate images, predominantly affecting women and girls. A recent study illustrates that 95% of popular