Thomas Buberl, chief executive officer,AXA, said,“In a world where risks are evolving faster, multiplying and becoming increasingly interconnected, insurance is an essential factor of stability. This edition of the AXA Future Risks Report shows that, while artificial intelligence has become experts’ top concern, climate change remains the number one risk for the general public. It also highlights the growing importance of demographic shifts, social tensions and the fragmentation of our societies.”
Paris: The 2026 edition of AXA Future Risks Report marked a turning point as for the first time since the report was launched, risks related to artificial intelligence and big data rank first among experts, ahead of climate change. AI ranked fourth in 2025.
AXA published the 13th edition of the AXA Future Risks Report, in partnership with Ipsos.
Each year, the report analyses changing perceptions of emerging risks among thousands of experts and members of the public worldwide.
This increase reflects the speed at which artificial intelligence is transforming economies and societies, as well as the uncertainty surrounding its impacts. Among experts ranking AI among their top risks, 54% consider it a rapidly emerging risk, while only 9% believe public authorities are well prepared to address it. This figure falls to 3% in Europe.
Climate change nevertheless remains a major concern. It continues to rank as the number one risk for the public and comes first across all age groups. Meanwhile, AI has risen to second place among the public, compared with seventh place in 2025.
Demographic Change: Anticipating a New Protection Economy
The report also highlights how demographic trends are progressively reshaping the needs societies must address: declining birth rates, ageing populations, longer life expectancy and changing family structures. In this context, protection needs are evolving as well.
For an insurer, these shifts call for a rethink of protection throughout people’s lives: supporting family transitions, health and loss of autonomy, savings, retirement and wealth transfer, while ensuring that insurance solutions remain accessible for populations with increasingly diverse life paths.
From Protection to Prevention
85% of experts and members of the public believe that the risks that concern them most can be at least partly prevented through prevention measures. A majority of the public also says it is willing to adopt behaviours that reduce its exposure to risk.
This expectation directly concerns the insurance sector. 68% of the public believe insurers have an important role to play in protecting society against emerging risks.
As risks evolve faster and become increasingly interconnected, the challenge for insurers is therefore twofold: to continue providing protection when risks materialize, while contributing more actively to anticipating and reducing them.
Thomas Buberl, chief executive officer,AXA, said,“In a world where risks are evolving faster, multiplying and becoming increasingly interconnected, insurance is an essential factor of stability. This edition of the AXA Future Risks Report shows that, while artificial intelligence has become experts’ top concern, climate change remains the number one risk for the general public. It also highlights the growing importance of demographic shifts, social tensions and the fragmentation of our societies.”
“In the face of these challenges, our role is not only to provide compensation, but also to better anticipate risks, strengthen prevention and support our customers and communities through their transitions. This is how insurance can make a tangible contribution to protecting what matters and strengthening collective resilience,” stressed Buberi.