Executives Increase Cybersecurity Budgets Despite AI Risks

AXIS Capital's Oct. 22–29, 2025 survey of 500 U.S. and UK CEOs and CISOs found nearly 82% plan to increase cybersecurity budgets while 75.2% expect headcount reductions due to AI-driven productivity. Respondents named AI-driven attacks (25.2%) the top emerging threat and flagged data leakage, shadow AI, and model manipulation as leading risks. The survey revealed stark U.S./UK trust differences in AI for cybersecurity.