Gartner has published its Quarterly Emerging Risk Report, which captures the views of 223 senior risk and assurance executives.
The 2Q25 report finds that the top three emerging risks are all economy-related, being:
1: Escalating Tariff and Trade War
2: Low-growth economic environment
3: Consumer spending slowdown.
These were followed by two AI-related areas:
4: Information governance-driven AI risks
5: Shadow AI
“The top five emerging risks in Q2 point to two broad themes for enterprises: A volatile low-growth macroeconomic environment, and a disruptive new technology that poses significant compliance risks rapidly growing in mainstream adoption,” said Gamika Takkar, Director, Research, in the Gartner Risk & Audit Practice.
“Risk leaders need to ensure their organizations are prepared for potential disruption to supply chains and increases to the cost of doing business in a global market,” said Takkar. “These impacts have the potential to be more disruptive at a time of slowing global economic growth.”
AI-related information governance-driven risks, moved from the fifth most cited spot in 1Q25 to the fourth rank in Q2, and Shadow AI moved into the top 5 as the popularity and ease-of-access to public AI tools soars, and organizations face challenges in effectively monitoring its use.
Gartner clients can access the study at 2Q25 Emerging Risk Report. Nonclients can read: Top Emerging Risk Trends Report.
