The 2026 International AI Safety Report Highlights Global Changes and Emerging Risks

Overview of the 2026 International AI Safety Report

The 2026 edition of the International AI Safety Report has been released, reflecting significant global developments and emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI). The report, managed by renowned Turing Award winner Yoshua Bengio, involves contributions from over 100 international experts, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts in ensuring AI's safe deployment and management.

Key Findings

1. Rapid Improvements in AI Capabilities: The report highlights notable advancements in general AI capacities, especially in mathematics and coding. By 2025, leading AI systems performed exceptionally well in international mathematics competitions, surpassing many experts’ abilities in scientific benchmark tests. However, inconsistencies remain, with AI still struggling with seemingly simple tasks.

2. Uneven Global Adoption: The report outlines that AI adoption has been swift, surpassing previous technologies like personal computers. Currently, around 700 million people utilize advanced AI systems weekly. Yet, the disparity in adoption rates is stark, with some regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America lagging significantly behind, showing less than 10% usage.

3. Rise of Deepfakes and Associated Threats: Incidents involving deepfakes are increasingly common, with these tools often leveraged for fraudulent activities. The consequences disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly women and young girls, as AI-generated intimate images are on the rise.

4. Regulatory Measures for Biological Products: Due to growing concerns around misuse, enhanced safeguards have been introduced for AI models linked to biological products, especially after reports indicated that some AI tools could facilitate the development of biological weapons.

5. Cybercriminal Exploitation: Malicious actors are actively utilizing general AI in cyberattacks. These systems have demonstrated capabilities to generate harmful code and uncover software vulnerabilities, drastically lowering the skill barrier for cyberattacks.

6. Challenges in Risk Management: Although there have been improvements in safeguarding measures, the current techniques for managing risks remain susceptible. Some failures, termed