European Commission plans to use AI to respond faster to cyberattacks

The European Commission's IT department DG DIGIT has drafted a plan to use AI to defend against the most dangerous cyberattacks. The goal is speed, since spotting an attack is not enough if staff cannot stop it quickly. Automatic defences would be allowed only in certain high-risk cases, with humans remaining in charge.

• DG DIGIT plans automatic defences in certain high-risk situations
• The paper warns advanced AI models make attacks faster and harder to detect
• Machines will not act without oversight, with people remaining in charge
• It is unclear whether the plans are already in use; the Commission declined to comment