THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Europol, the European Union’s policing body, warned on Tuesday that artificial intelligence is significantly enhancing organized crime, posing a threat to societal foundations across the EU’s 27 member states as it becomes linked to state-led destabilization efforts.
This serious warning accompanied the release of Europol’s latest report on organized crime, a publication issued every four years. The report, drawing on data from EU police forces, will guide law enforcement strategies within the bloc in the years ahead.
Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle stated, “Cybercrime is escalating into a digital arms race targeting governments, businesses, and individuals. AI-driven attacks are becoming more precise and devastating.”
She added, “Some attacks reveal a mix of financial and destabilization motives, as they are increasingly aligned with state interests and ideological agendas.”
The report, titled the EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment 2025, highlighted that offenses such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, money laundering, cyberattacks, and online scams compromise society and the rule of law by “generating illicit proceeds, spreading violence, and normalizing corruption.”
The report noted a significant increase in the volume of child sexual abuse material online due to AI, which complicates image analysis and offender identification.
“By creating highly realistic synthetic media, criminals are able to deceive victims, impersonate individuals and discredit or blackmail targets. The addition of AI-powered voice cloning and live video deepfakes amplifies the threat, enabling new forms of fraud, extortion, and identity theft,” the report stated.
The report also indicated that states seeking geopolitical advantages are utilizing criminals as contractors, citing cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and public institutions “originating from Russia and countries in its sphere of influence.”
“Hybrid and traditional cybercrime actors will increasingly be intertwined, with state-sponsored actors masking themselves as cybercriminals to conceal their origin and real disruption motives,” it elaborated.
Polish Interior Ministry Undersecretary of State Maciej Duszczyk referenced a recent cyberattack on a hospital as a current example in Poland.
He stated that “Unfortunately this hospital has to stop its activity for the hours because it was lost to a serious cyber-attack,” aided by AI.
According to the report, AI and other technologies “are a catalyst for crime, and drive criminal operations’ efficiency by amplifying their speed, reach, and sophistication.”
As the European Commission prepares to introduce a new internal security policy, De Bolle emphasized the urgent need for European nations to address these threats.
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner stated, “We must embed security into everything we do.” He also mentioned the EU’s plan to allocate sufficient funds in the coming years to double Europol’s staff.