O’Dwyers - AI Tops Irking Trump as Reputational Risk
O’Dwyers - January 16
By Steve Barnes
While the danger of being on the president’s bad side is seen as a major source of concern for brands, the potential negative effects of artificial intelligence pose an even greater reputational threat.
That’s the consensus of the Global Situation Room’s Global Risk Advisory Council in the Q4 2025 edition of its Reputation Risk Index, which put AI at the top of its list and moved Donald Trump (who was at #1 in Q3) into second place.
On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 representing the most severe threat), 77 percent of the Council members said AI misuse is a major risk, ranking it at a “6” or above. More than half (53 percent) ranked it at “8” or higher.
“As AI regulation lags behind the technology’s maturation,” the report notes, “harmful applications—from biased decision-making to manipulative use—are rampant.”
The Reputation Risk Index cautions organizations against using AI without adequate oversight, saying that the result can be “immediate damage to their credibility and perhaps lasting damage to their most valuable asset: public trust.”