MKS Instruments Inc.: 10-K Risk Factor Changes

We are in the early stages of integrating AI into our business and operational processes and continue to explore new uses. AI technologies are complex and rapidly evolving. They may be difficult and costly to implement and govern, with no assurance that our investments in AI will deliver anticipated benefits. Our competitors may adopt or leverage AI more quickly or effectively, achieving greater benefits, which could potentially diminish our market position. AI tools can produce outputs that are erroneous, misleading, biased, or otherwise flawed due to inaccurate, incomplete, or skewed training data, algorithms, or methodologies. Reliance on AI outputs without adequate human oversight and control mechanisms may lead to operational inefficiencies or disruptions, poor business decisions or reputational damage. Our use of AI raises significant IP, data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, and ethical considerations. Improper development, deployment or use of AI tools by our employees or business partners would increase the risk of loss of confidential or proprietary information, complicate assertion or enforcement of IP rights, introduce defects or malware into our products or business systems, or expose us to claims of infringement, misappropriation, or other violations of third-party rights, including individual rights such as privacy rights. Reliance on third-party vendors that use AI may introduce additional implementation, security, and compliance risks. The legal and regulatory landscape governing AI is dynamic, with evolving frameworks addressing data protection and privacy, IP, and responsible AI practices. Compliance may be costly and require significant resources and could restrict certain AI applications or limit our ability to deploy AI capabilities. Failure to anticipate, implement, and maintain appropriate governance and risk management controls, or to comply with applicable laws and standards, could result in sensitive data loss, regulatory scrutiny, legal liability, increased costs, or reputational damage.