Experian says 40% of the 5,000 data breaches it serviced in 2025 were AI-powered, and predicts agentic AI will be the leading cause of data breaches in 2026
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AI Behind 40% of Breaches Experian Handled in 2025
Experian says 2,000 of its 5,000 serviced breaches in 2025 were AI-powered, with agentic AI next.
Experian just dropped a stat that should make every CISO sweat. Of the 5,000 data breaches the company serviced in 2025, a full 40% were AI-powered. That's roughly 2,000 breaches where artificial intelligence played a direct role in the attack.
And it's about to get worse. Experian predicts agentic AI — autonomous systems that can plan, execute, and adapt without human intervention — will become the leading cause of data breaches in 2026.
The shift from AI-assisted to AI-autonomous attacks marks a significant escalation in the cybersecurity threat landscape. When AI agents can independently probe for vulnerabilities, craft phishing campaigns, and exploit weaknesses at machine speed, traditional defenses face an entirely new class of problem.
The message is clear: the attackers are automating faster than the defenders.