The EU seeks to reduce its reliance on US AI in cybersecurity
The EU seeks to reduce its reliance on US AI in cybersecurity
https://www.escudodigital.com/en/defense/europe/eu-seeks-reduce-reliance-us-ai-cybersecurity.html
Publish Date: 2026-05-22 01:20:00
Source Domain: www.escudodigital.com
The European Parliament in Strasbourg hosted a debate lastTuesday on the European Union’s ability to respond to the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In particular, lawmakers addressed Europe’s technological dependence on the United States, where companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are developing new cybersecurity-focused models –GPT-5.5-Cyber and Mythos, respectively– that could enter the European market in the near future.
These developments have raised several questions within the EU: Are European companies capable of developing their own advanced AI systems? To what extent could Europe be harmed if its data and cybersecurity infrastructure depend on foreign powers?
Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, stated that “AI is becoming increasingly integrated into our economy and our security,” while warning that the new generation of advanced AI systems also poses significant risks.
“It allows us to detect vulnerabilities in software, but in the hands of cybercriminals or hostile state actors, it can become a threat,” she said.
Raouna stressed that these risks are already materializing through sophisticated phishing attacks and disinformation campaigns: “The EU must be prepared and cannot afford to fall behind.”
Defensive AI versus offensive AI
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, acknowledged that Europe remains highly dependent on foreign technology.
“AI can be used for good and for bad. It can provide tools to protect infrastructure, but it can also create risks if exploited by malicious actors. These new models have enormous capabilities and operate at great speed. Vulnerabilities can now be detected in hours, whereas previously this took months,” she explained.
- European Commission Executive Vice-President…
