The Double-Edged Sword: The Reward is in the Risks of AI

We’re living in a defining moment for AI. In 2025, AI is truly transforming how we work, communicate, and build. From autonomous agents to generative copilots, we’re seeing breakthroughs once thought impossible.

But as with every technological leap, new capabilities bring new responsibilities. To me, risk isn’t the enemy. We’re building something powerful enough to matter.

We can build trust into AI systems that scale. To protect the promise of this technology by designing it with care.

Why AI risks are milestones

Every major innovation (electricity, aviation, the internet, etc.) faced a wave of early risks. AI is no different. The presence of risk signals that we’ve crossed into world-changing territory.

The challenge in 2025 is actually understanding risks deeply enough to govern wisely without slowing down innovation.

Two modern frameworks are helping us do just that:

• MIT’s AI Risk Repository (2025) gives us a structured view of over 1,600 AI risks across human, system, and deployment levels. It reflects the real-world complexity of scaling AI.

• NIST’s AML Taxonomy (2025) focuses on adversarial threats, equipping builders with the language and defenses needed to secure AI systems against misuse or failure.

The true purpose of these tools is to build smarter, safer, and faster.

The AI rewards (and responsibilities) are real

The systems we’re building today can:

• Accelerate drug discovery

• Automate routine work and unlock human creativity

• Scale personalized education and healthcare

• Drive accessibility and communication across languages and abilities

• Help organizations operate more intelligently, sustainably, and securely

But realizing these benefits means tackling challenges head-on, especially as generative models and agents become more capable and autonomous.

What AI risk really looks like in 2025

Here’s what we’re seeing across real-world LLM and agent deployments today:

Reframe these risks for a moment. Consider them to be engineering challenges. With the right patterns, governance, and collaboration, they’re solvable.

AI agents are unlocking the next wave of productivity

Autonomous agents are shifting how we think about AI. They can:

• Automate multi-step workflows

• Plan and execute goals

• Interact with APIs, data, and other systems

• Collaborate with users and/or with each other

This new paradigm opens doors for exponential gains in productivity, decision-making, and discovery.

But it also introduces new system-level risks:

• Agents may act without full human supervision

• Goal misalignment can lead to unintended outcomes

• Multi-agent interactions can create complexity fast

• Greater tool access = larger attack surfaces

Again, these are solvable design problems. The solution lies in clear alignment strategies, oversight mechanisms, and shared best practices. In times of potentially high stakes, panic isn’t the answer. Pragmatism is.

A smarter way to approach future AI risks

Some risks once considered futuristic are already here:

• AI systems that operate with minimal human input

• Sophisticated agents capable of goal-directed planning

• Increased user trust in systems that are still evolving

Think of these shifts as reasons to level up how we build, monitor, and explain AI. I see it as opportunity, as opposed to reasons to abandon the innovation ship.

Your role in building the future of AI

Here’s how you can contribute, no matter your role:

The risks feel complex, but so is the reward: a future where AI enhances human agency.

Your turn

Will we allow risks to materialize through inaction, or will we proactively address them through thoughtful design, implementation, and governance?

AI risk is part of the path to impact. And we’re facing breakthroughs. I’d like to see all hands on deck from different professions and areas of expertise to harness the power of this technology for good.

Yes, we need guardrails. But I truly believe the premise of guardrails are about keeping us on track. To make sure the systems we’re building are worthy of the people who will rely on them.

We’re building the infrastructure of the future. Let’s build it well.

✅ Let’s Shape the Future of AI Together

The future of AI won’t be decided by chance—it’ll be shaped by the builders, leaders, and teams who act intentionally today.

If this post sparked something for you, whether it’s a challenge you’re navigating or a system you’re building, let’s talk. I’m opening up limited AI consulting sessions for teams and founders who are building AI-forward products and want guidance on risk, readiness, or governance.

🔗 Book a 1:1 strategy session with me here → Calendly

Let’s build trustworthy, high-impact AI, on purpose.

🔗 Sources & References

1. MIT AI Risk Repository (April 2025)
   The AI Risk Repository: A Comprehensive Meta-Review, Database, and Taxonomy of Risks from Artificial Intelligence (Preprint v2)
   https://airisk.mit.edu/blog/new-version-of-the-ai-risk-repository-preprint-now-available
   https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.12622v2

2. NIST AI 100-2 E2025 Report on Adversarial Machine Learning
   Adversarial Machine Learning: A Taxonomy and Terminology of Attacks and Mitigations
   https://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/ai/100/2/e2025/final

3. Deloitte Insights (Feb 2025)
   Managing Gen AI Risks: Four Emerging Categories to Watch
   https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/digital-transformation/four-emerging-categories-of-gen-ai-risks.html

4. Stanford HAI Predictions for AI in 2025
   https://hai.stanford.edu/news/predictions-for-ai-in-2025-collaborative-agents-ai-skepticism-and-new-risks

5. IBM Think Leadership (March 2025)
   AI Agents in 2025: Expectations vs. Reality
   https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/ai-agents-2025-expectations-vs-reality

6. Forbes Technology Council (March 2025)
   How AI Agents Are Transforming Business in 2025 and Beyond
   https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2025/03/27/how-ai-agents-are-transforming-business-in-2025-and-beyond/

7. McKinsey & Company (January 2025)
   Superagency in the Workplace: Empowering People to Unlock AI’s Full Potential
   https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/superagency-in-the-workplace-empowering-people-to-unlock-ais-full-potential-at-work

8. World Economic Forum (Dec 2024)
   What Are the Risks and Benefits of 'AI Agents'?
   https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/12/ai-agents-risks-artificial-intelligence/

9. Berkeley SCET (Dec 2024)
   The Next “Next Big Thing”: Agentic AI’s Opportunities and Risks
   https://scet.berkeley.edu/the-next-next-big-thing-agentic-ais-opportunities-and-risks/