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How can risk executives embrace innovation while preparing for unknown risks such as a self-driving car commandeered by hackers, data analytics software that unintentionally reflects biases, or autonomous weapons that cause accidental casualties? This challenge was explored in the Risk in Review Study of more than 1,500 senior risk executives globally. Adapters—those with programs that tackle innovation-related risks somewhat or very effectively—practice five actions that set them apart. And their programs exert much more influence over decisions about innovation.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) gets more sophisticated and weaves further into the fabric of human existence, what are the implications for work and society? How will AI, its evolution, and some of its potential future mind-bending possibilities impact investors? While the answers are beyond the reach of a single article, having a better understanding of the AI phenomenon is important for investors hoping to participate in an emerging trend that will shape the future for years to come.

Companies have been employing digital technology for years, but they are only now committing themselves to pursuing durable digital transformations. The shift signals a changed outlook from recent years, when digitization efforts tended to be more tactical than strategic. Companies invested in technological upgrades, remaking individual functions such as sales support and customer service. But a clear majority of companies now invest in digital transformation for long-term growth, not short-term improvements, according to a recent survey of finance executives.

You’ve made the right moves in your operating business—you’ve developed and executed your IT plan and upgraded your ERP, EAM, and CRM systems to improve efficiencies and gain new insights. You're starting to see results, but these new systems are generating vast amounts of data you aren't always sure what to make of.

Industry 4.0—synonymous with smart technologies—is driving efficiencies and increasing productivity. Data, and the physical-digital integration of humans, processes, systems, and machines, are key components of this transformation. The global ramifications of Industry 4.0 are still under debate, but one thing is certain: Change is coming.

The future. It’s the topic on the mind of most business leaders—what’s going to happen in the future? And importantly, how do you ensure you’re prepared for it? Today, as technological advances impact the scale, scope, and utility of data and information, a new ecosystem of information and trust is taking shape around us. Businesses are responding by using and reporting information that goes beyond financial information.

While cyber liability losses and privacy claims continue to rise, a new exposure has arisen. Hackers have determined that due to the increased sophistication in computer security, it may be easier to manipulate an individual rather than a machine. With enough policies and procedures in place, Social Engineering Fraud (SEF) is preventable. However, what these professional criminals are counting on is being able to manipulate an employee to violate the company’s policies.

Financial reports and other real-time operational data are often lagging indicators of performance. These metrics, although perhaps lacking precision, may have been sufficiently effective in the past; however, they are less so now because they lag the current cadence of information dissemination and business volatility today. The challenge for many finance functions is to try to keep pace with all the modern sources of insight and analysis that internal and external stakeholders are receiving.