Europol warns of criminals using AI in proxy attacks for hostile states
Artificial intelligence is dramatically empowering organised crime, jeopardising the stability of European societies, Europol cautioned in a report released Tuesday. The agency also highlighted the alarming trend of criminal activities becoming entangled with state-sponsored destabilisation efforts across the EU, WAM reports.
Europol's quadrennial organised crime report, drawing on EU-wide police data, delivered a stark warning, intended to guide law enforcement policy in the coming years.
"Cybercrime is evolving into a digital arms race targeting governments, businesses and individuals. AI-driven attacks are becoming more precise and devastating,” said Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle.
“Some attacks show a combination of motives of profit and destabilisation, as they are increasingly state-aligned and ideologically motivated,” she added.
The EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment 2025 (SOCTA 2025) warns that offenses—from drug trafficking and people smuggling to money laundering, cyberattacks, and online scams—erode society and the rule of law through illicit profits, violence, and normalised corruption.
As reported previously, the Spanish government has approved a bill imposing significant fines on companies that publish content generated by artificial intelligence without proper labeling.
