Experian: AI Agents Could Overtake Human Error as Major Cause of Data Breaches

Artificial intelligence continues to be at the center of Experian’s annual breach forecast for 2026, with the scope, frequency and cost of cyber incidents heavily influenced by the technology.

AI makes its way into many of the predictions in Experian’s Data Breach Industry Forecast. Michael Bruemmer, vice president of global data breach resolution, and Jim Steven, head of crisis & data response services, UK, said agentic AI systems could be exploited by savvy hackers who might inject their AI agents “to disrupt the orchestration or governance of the victim’s AI agents.

“At a minimum, this disruption could impact an organization’s operations or siphon money, goods, or information,” or perform ransomware-like operations, said Experian. “AI agents are the next frontier for fraud and cybercrime, and we predict this may overtake human error as the leading cause of data breaches.”

With the use of AI, hackers might also be able to extract data at an unprecedented rate and “stitch together enriched identity profiles.” Experian warns: “Get ready for a potentially massive spike in identity theft.” Or, AI capabilities could bolster the spread of mutating malicious code—polymorphic or metamorphic malware.

AI’s presence could also be used in conjunction with quantum computing, which many companies see as one of the largest cybersecurity threats over the next handful of years. Experian said quantum computing is “already driving increased attacks,” and it could be used to break encryption methods, which for now is an effort thwarted by AI security technology. But the next year data-breach-prevention firms will accelerate quantum versions of their offerings to stay ahead of potential fraud, Experian predicted.