AI and supply chains open new pathways to systemic stress as risks become more interconnected, find Swiss Re Institute and LSE
Analysis of 91 Fortune-100 companies finds 24% more links between reported risks than in 2019 AI risk broadens rapidly across sectors, emerging as a key point of connection that could accelerate the transmission of shocks Supply chains link geopolitical, tariff, climate, pandemic and cyber risks, creating new routes for disruption to cascade across sectors Zurich, Switzerland (Sept. 25, 2026) – Risks are becoming increasingly interconnected, creating new pathways through which relatively contained shocks can ripple faster and further through the economy. New joint analysis by Swiss Re Institute and LSE finds 24% more links between risks reported by 91 Fortune-100 companies than in 2019, with AI and supply chains emerging as key points of connection. The findings point to a broader shift in systemic risk as threats increasingly interact across financial, digital, natural-hazard and socio-economic systems. The severity of the next systemic crisis may depend less on the size of the initial shock than on where it hits and how widely its effects spread. Growing dependence on common suppliers, technology platforms and critical infrastructure means disruption in one area can increasingly cascade into seemingly unrelated parts of the economy. Jérôme Haegeli, Group Chief Economist and Head of Swiss Re Institute,...