AI overtakes talent and brand as Spains top corporate reputation risk

Artificial intelligence has overtaken talent management and corporate communications to become the single most pressing issue shaping Spain’s corporate reputation landscape, according to a study published today by *Expansión* . The survey of 200 Spanish executives places AI at the top of the intangibles agenda for the first time, displacing long-standing priorities such as employee engagement and brand messaging.

The findings, released on Monday 15 June 2026, show 68 per cent of respondents now view AI governance as “mission-critical” to their reputational risk profile, compared with 54 per cent for talent retention and 49 per cent for communication strategy. One Madrid-based chief executive, who asked not to be named, told *Expansión* that boards are “no longer debating whether to deploy AI, but how to do so without eroding public trust.” The study coincides with a broader European push to harmonise AI ethics guidelines ahead of the EU AI Act’s full enforcement in August 2026.

Across the Atlantic, the legal AI start-up Legora has seized on the moment with a hiring spree and a high-profile marketing blitz fronted by actor Jude Law. The London-based company, valued at $5.6 billion, confirmed on Monday it will double its workforce to 1,200 by year-end after recording a 900-visit spike to its website following the campaign’s launch . Legora’s chief marketing officer said the surge reflected “unprecedented demand for transparent, explainable AI in regulated sectors.”

Meanwhile, Spain’s education system is also grappling with digital evaluation after 150,000 high-school students sat the final competency test of the *Bacalaureat 2026* on Monday using an online platform monitored by proctoring software . Authorities reported no major technical failures, but student unions warned that unequal access to high-speed internet could skew results in rural regions.

Corporate governance experts argue the convergence of these trends points to a new era in which AI literacy is as essential as financial literacy. “Reputation is now algorithmically determined,” said a partner at a Madrid consultancy who advises Ibex 35 companies. “The companies that will thrive are those that treat AI governance as a core competency, not a compliance exercise.”