BRUSSELS, March 18, 2025 (WAM) – Europol has issued a stark warning about the growing role of artificial intelligence in empowering organized crime, threatening the stability of European societies. In its latest report, the agency highlighted a troubling trend of criminal activities being intertwined with state-sponsored efforts to destabilize the EU.
The report, part of Europol’s quadrennial organized crime assessment, underscores the increasing sophistication of cybercrime, which is now a “digital arms race” targeting governments, businesses, and individuals. Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, stressed that AI-driven attacks are becoming more precise and damaging.
“These attacks are driven by a combination of profit and destabilization motives, with many increasingly linked to state-aligned and ideologically motivated actors,” she said.
The EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment 2025 (SOCTA 2025) warns that crimes such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, money laundering, cyberattacks, and online scams are undermining societal stability, promoting violence, and normalizing corruption.
