Just as in space, Europe is also capable of defending itself in the field of AI

The hacking of the Hugging Face platform, carried out this summer by a swarm of out-of-control artificial intelligence agents, continues to provoke reactions. In the United States, concern over the dangers posed by technology that is no longer aligned with human objectives – which has led to an unexpected coordination of actions involving strategies of concealment – has sparked a heated debate, at times with apocalyptic undertones.

We must consider the implications for Europe: several leaders, including the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her State of the Union address, have confirmed the gravity of this scenario, explicitly citing the Hugging Face incident. This represents a significant development. In earlier stages, the European priority – in line with the principles set out in the encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas" – was to safeguard the centrality of the human being in the development of AI, an ethical imperative. Now, however, the priority has shifted to defence in the face of a scenario deemed directly dangerous, a sense of urgency which, amongst other things, explains the convening of a summit by King Charles of England.

These attacks, whether deliberate or the result of industrial accidents linked to cutting-edge AI models, could pose a threat to the stability of society. Here we see the risk scenarios for critical infrastructure (communications networks, energy distribution, water supply and transport) that have been studied for decades. From a cybersecurity perspective, an ongoing arms race between offensive and defensive capabilities has been underway for years. Today, however, many sector experts are sounding the alarm: the speed at which new AI models are being developed requires a thorough review of the security standards governing various systems. The European context is often described in terms of its structural weaknesses. Europe does not boast cutting-edge AI models and is struggling to nurture its own leaders to reach levels comparable to those of the US or China, as demonstrated – in many ways admirably – by the example of the French company Mistral AI. On the other hand, cybersecurity is often entrusted to traditional companies. Many groups operating in the defence and electronics sectors have developed their own capabilities, such as Leonardo or Thales; one can also observe the importance of investment by companies that manage critical networks (energy, telecommunications, banking). While these companies cannot compete with the AI giants, they are, directly or indirectly, linked to their respective governments and coordinate with national and European policies on cyber defence, following the model of the national cyber security perimeter devised in Italy by Roberto Baldoni – a concept subsequently adopted at European level through the NIS 2 Directive. Recent national institutions dedicated to cyber security demonstrate a strong capacity for cooperation at European level. There are therefore mechanisms already in place that link European public and private institutions to tackle threats. Ursula von der Leyen’s speech represents merely the tip of the iceberg: Europe has successfully developed expertise and initiatives in the digital sphere, ranging from directives on data and AI to the creation of specialised institutions.

All this, however, requires further action. Some sources point out that a Chinese AI model was used to counter the attack on Hugging Face. Whilst this demonstrates the importance of not relying on a single technological resource, it also creates a potential dependency on a non-democratic country.

The European space sector offers an interesting example in this regard. The continuity of investment, strongly supported by public policy through the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission, enables Europe to maintain a range of autonomous capabilities, from launch to satellite production, even in the face of disruptive US investment, symbolised by SpaceX.

This European public-private model in the space sector can provide guidance on how to ensure greater European security and autonomy in the field of AI as well: the continuity and growth of support for high-quality public scientific research, with Member States using their spending power as a lever to prioritise European manufacturers, as part of a coordinated strategy with the operators of critical networks. We are well aware that, given the scale of the current threat – which must not be underestimated – it is also necessary to adapt civil defence plans, drawing lessons from recent experiences such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the power cut in Spain and at London’s airports, as well as the Ukrainian model of resistance, including from a technological perspective.