Integrating Europe’s AI and Cybersecurity Strategies

The European Commission is pursuing major initiatives in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. The goal of the latter is to improve awareness and response to the growing cybersecurity threats, while the goal of the former is to ensure Europe’s competitiveness in the development and use of AI. However, integrating the initiatives will strengthen both. AI provides attackers new cybersecurity vulnerabilities to exploit and new methods to automate cyberattacks. Conversely, AI is a powerful tool for automating cyber defenses, discovering unknown vulnerabilities, and augmenting the shortage of human workers available to address cybersecurity challenges. That is why AI should play a key role in the EU’s cybersecurity strategy, and why cybersecurity should be a major part of its AI strategy.

ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation hosted a panel of experts for a conversation about how AI can help Europe secure its systems, and the steps Europe should take to build more secure AI.