MIT AI Risk Repository · Risk Sub-Category · 72.04.02
Market Concentration and Infrastructure Dependencies:
Category: Systemic Risks
Description
"Over-reliance on a limited number of dominant AI providers could create critical single points of failure across essential services. Market concentration in AI development may lead to scenarios where technical failures, cyber-attacks, or policy decisions by a few companies could simultaneously disrupt healthcare systems, financial services, transportation networks, and communication infrastructure, creating cascading failures across interconnected critical systems."
From Frontier AI Risk Management Framework (v1.0) (Tse2025), as extracted by the MIT AI Risk Repository (CC BY 4.0).
Classification
- Causal entity
- Human
- Intent
- Unintentional
- Timing
- Other
Subdomain definition: AI-driven concentration of power and resources within certain entities or groups, especially those with access to or ownership of powerful AI systems, leading to inequitable distribution of benefits and increased societal inequality.
Real-world incidents in this subdomain
- LLM Scrapers Allegedly Target Multiple Open Source Projects Disrupting the FOSS Ecosystem
- Coupang Allegedly Tweaked Search Algorithms to Boost Own Products
- Amazon Allegedly Tweaked Search Algorithm to Boost Its Own Products
- Gmail’s Inbox Sorting System Reportedly Reduced Visibility of Political Emails and Campaign Calls-to-Action
- Google Fined for Changing Shopping Algorithms in EU to Favor Own Service
- Amazon India Allegedly Rigged Search Results to Promote Own Products
How other frameworks describe this risk
Other entries from Tse2025
- Misuse Risks
- Misuse Risks
- Cyber Offense Risks
- Biological and Chemical Risks
- Biological and Chemical Risks
- Physical Harm and Injury Risks
- Physical Harm and Injury Risks
- Large-Scale Persuasion and Harmful Manipulation Risks
- Large-Scale Persuasion and Harmful Manipulation Risks
- Loss of Control Risks
- Loss of Control Risks
- Passive loss of control