Military Space News
CYBER WARS
AI 'reshaping' organised crime, warns Europol
AI 'reshaping' organised crime, warns Europol
By Richard CARTER
The Hague (AFP) Mar 18, 2025

Artificial intelligence is turbocharging organised crime, from creating child sexual abuse images to money laundering via cryptocurrency, Europol warned Tuesday, with advances like quantum computing only poised to make things worse.

Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle described the report as a "wake-up call" for law enforcement, telling top officers from around Europe that "the future of European security is in our hands".

"This is a fight of the rule of law, for our communities, for our businesses, and for the future of our children. We will not let organised crime dictate the rules of the game," she said.

In its report laying out the threats posed by organised crime, the European police organisation said criminals had seized on the opportunities offered by AI as a "catalyst" to accelerate their activities.

"Rapid technological advancements -- especially in artificial intelligence (AI) -- are reshaping how crime is organised, executed, and concealed," Europol said in a detailed 80-page "threat assessment" report.

"These shifts are making organised crime more dangerous, posing an unprecedented challenge to security across the EU and its member states," the police added.

The use of AI and other technologies are helping criminals across the whole of their portfolio -- from drug and human trafficking, to cybercrime and identity theft.

Generative AI enables criminal gangs to hit their targets more globally across multiple languages and even generate child sexual abuse images, the police report warned.

"Explicit pictures of adults can be manipulated to make the individual look younger or applications can 'nudify' non-explicit images," the report said.

"The very qualities that make AI revolutionary -- accessibility, versatility, and sophistication -- have made it an attractive tool for criminals," noted Europol.

- 'AI-controlled criminals' -

Technology is also making it harder for authorities to recover ill-gotten gains.

Confiscation of proceeds from crime has stagnated at around two percent, the police said, with the challenge "further exacerbated by the increasing criminal exploitation of digital assets".

Criminal groups are using cryptocurrency to launder money and move funds around, making it hard to track and eventually confiscate.

"The criminal exploitation of cryptocurrency as a payment method now has moved beyond the scope of cybercrime, and is encountered increasingly in more traditional crime areas such as drug trafficking or migrant smuggling."

As technology improves, the boost to criminal activity is only likely to increase, according to Europol, noting the rapid developments in quantum computing, the metaverse, 6G, unmanned systems and brain-computer interfaces.

"The high levels of anonymity, speed, and sophistication currently demonstrated by criminal networks will only likely increase over the coming years," cautioned the report.

Quantum computing in particular will enable criminals to crack current encryption technology with ease.

Finally, the police raised the dystopian prospect of criminal gangs run entirely by AI.

"The emergence of fully autonomous AI could pave the way for entirely AI-controlled criminal networks, marking a new era in organised crime," said the report.

Related Links
Cyberwar - Internet Security News - Systems and Policy Issues

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
CYBER WARS
Russia, China hitting West with 'massive digital arsenals': EU
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Mar 18, 2025
The European Union on Tuesday said Russia and China were using "massive digital arsenals" to interfere in Western democracies, while their messaging around the war in Ukraine had become increasingly aligned. "Foreign information manipulation and interference is a major security threat to the EU," foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a report. "We must not underestimate the power that this has over us, or the intentions of those behind it." In its latest annual report on the subject Brus ... read more

CYBER WARS
Israel military says intercepted missile from Yemen

Israel says intercepted missile from Yemen

France, Italy, UK order more air defence missiles

Space Force accelerates Missile Warning capabilities

CYBER WARS
Kim oversees NKorea's new weapons ahead of Russian security chief visit

Russian barrage kills one, damages hospitals: Kyiv

Top EU diplomat hails Trump offer to help Ukraine get air defences

Russian strike on Ukraine's Odesa port kills four: Kyiv

CYBER WARS
Rampart debuts StrataWave UAS radio designed for stealth in electronic warfare zones

AV secures DIU contract to advance autonomous strike drone deployment

Ukraine drones hit Russian energy sites, Kyiv source says

Moscow targeted by 'massive' Ukrainian drone attack

CYBER WARS
European satellite group ready to step up for Kyiv's military: CEO

Researchers establish new basis for quantum sensing and communication

Rivada and Amentum Collaborate to Enhance Secure Government Communications

Lockheed Martin, Nokia, and Verizon Enhance Military Communications with 5G.MIL Integration

CYBER WARS
More kit, better barracks: Germany's military in need of overhaul

US approves sale of $3 bn in munitions, bulldozers to Israel

Denmark and Norway to 'increase cooperation' on defence

Eight soldiers killed in Colombia road accident

CYBER WARS
As Russia looms, EU defence plans fail to quell joint borrowing calls

Defense Dept. cuts $580M in funding deemed wasteful

What's in Germany's giant spending 'bazooka'?

Rocked by Trump, EU seeks to kickstart defence push

CYBER WARS
Japan stresses US alliance after Trump cost-cutting reports

Russia threatens the entire EU, bloc's chief tells AFP

Europe shifts gears for the Trump era

China, Russia eager to fill void as Trump axes US-funded media

CYBER WARS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.