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Misuse of artificial intelligence ranked as the leading perceived reputational threat to companies in the latest quarterly Reputation Risk Index, according to a report published by The Guardian on October 6, 2026. The finding reflects the views of a selected panel of public affairs leaders—not a representative poll of customers, nor a measure of companies’ actual losses.
What the index ranked as the biggest reputational risks
The latest index placed AI misuse first. The next concerns were risks to children, sensitive-information infringement, unethical or illegal conduct for strategic advantage or profit, and poor strategic or operational decisions that reduce a company’s financial or public standing.
| Reported rank | Concern |
|---|---|
| 1 | Misuse of artificial intelligence |
| 2 | Putting children at risk of mental, emotional, or physical harm |
| 3 | Infringing on individuals’ sensitive information |
| 4 | Unethical or illegal behavior used to gain strategic advantage or profit |
| 5 | Poor strategic or operational decisions that reduce financial or public standing |
The Guardian reports the ordering but does not provide vote shares or comparable severity scores, so the ranks show relative placement in this index rather than the size of a gap between concerns.
What respondents associate with AI risk
Respondents reportedly saw potential for AI to improve organizational efficiency while also associating it with several kinds of risk. The article does not rank these sub-risks separately or report how many respondents named each one.
#1 Best Overall
- Safety and data concerns, including hacks and fraud
- Pressure on privacy protections
- Workforce disruption
- Litigation connecting AI products with real-world harm
These are concerns reported by participants, not findings that any specific harm has occurred or that AI use inevitably causes reputational damage.
Who took part—and what the results can tell readers
The Reputation Risk Index is published by the Global Risk Advisory Council and was created with Washington, DC-based public affairs firm Global Situation Room. The publisher describes it as a quarterly barometer combining crisis expertise with analysis from more than 150 public affairs leaders. The Guardian says the latest edition drew on more than 150 leaders, including former heads of state, government ministers, CEOs, and senior executives from more than 20 countries across five continents. Participants are invited based on credentials responding to crises, as described by the publisher and the Guardian.
Rank #2
That profile makes the result a reading of selected experts’ perceptions of reputational risk. It should not be treated as a representative measure of what consumers, employees, investors, or the wider public think, or as a prediction of how they will behave.
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The Guardian reports that AI misuse has appeared among the top concerns repeatedly since the index’s first edition in April 2025. In the July 2026 edition, supply-chain issues, divisive political stances, and other factors associated with the US-Israel war on Iran had led the concerns; the latest edition found those geopolitical issues had eased.
The available reporting and publisher overview do not state the latest survey’s field dates, questionnaire, weighting, response scale, ranking calculation, or response-level data. The exact number of participants beyond “more than 150” is also not given. Without those details, readers cannot independently assess how the ranking was generated. The reported result does not establish how common harmful AI use is, document a particular company’s reputational loss, or show that the index predicts future customer or investor behavior.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the council chair advised businesses
Isabel Casillas Guzman, chair of the Global Risk Advisory Council, said: “As AI is rapidly deployed for productivity gains, we have also seen diminishing public trust in the technology, elevating the need for businesses to take measures to protect their brands.” The Guardian also quoted the council’s advisory urging business leaders to “take immediate and decisive action to mitigate potential long-term brand damage.” These statements express the chair’s and council’s position; the index itself does not demonstrate that a particular safeguard works.
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