European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CNECT), 2024.

A study commissioned by the European Commission highlights the significant potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve public sector services across the EU. The report emphasizes that AI can enhance citizen-government interactions, boost analytical capabilities, and increase efficiency in key areas such as healthcare, mobility, e-Government, and education. These sectors are identified as among the most ready for large-scale AI deployment, with applications ranging from autonomous vehicles and smart traffic systems to AI-driven healthcare solutions and education technologies.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Aerospace & defence ecosystem – Robotics and drones, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

Robotics, which includes drones, is a dual-use technology with civil and defence applications. Civil applications include industrial robots (the socalled cobots) and service robots in logistics, agriculture, and cleaning services. Exoskeletons (or wearable robotics) are increasingly important in civil healthcare and defence applications. In defence, both manned and unmanned types of robots, including drones are used. Drones are used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. They help the soldiers on the ground and sitting far away to plan their next move.

European Data Protection Supervisor, AI Act Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 – Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence and amending Regulations (EC) No 300/2008, (EU) No 167/2013, (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1139 and (EU) 2019/2144 and Directives 2014/90/EU, (EU) 2016/797 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Artificial Intelligence Act) (Text with EEA relevance), Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2804/4225375

The purpose of this Regulation is to improve the functioning of the internal market and promote the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI), while ensuring a high level of protection of health, safety, fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter, including democracy, the rule of law and environmental protection, against the harmful effects of AI systems in the Union and supporting innovation.

European Security and Defence College, Annual report 2022-2023, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

In 2023, the ESDC conducted a revamped prioritisation exercise for the academic year 2023-2024, evaluating and prioritising training requirements, as derived from Member States’ input and EU policy orientations. Our obligation is to deliver on the requirements of Member States and the EU, by paying particular attention to more recent key domains, without neglecting those more traditional courses that remain relevant. These areas include hybrid threats, maritime security, space, climate change and foreign information manipulation and interference, and – very importantly – leadership skills for CSDP missions.

European Parliament: Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union and Ünver, A., Artificial intelligence (AI) and human rights – Using AI as a weapon of repression and its impact on human rights – In-depth analysis, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

This in-depth analysis (IDA) explores the most prominent actors, cases and techniques of algorithmic authoritarianism together with the legal, regulatory and diplomatic framework related to AI-based biases as well as deliberate misuses. With the world leaning heavily towards digital transformation, AI’s use in policy, economic and social decision-making has introduced alarming trends in repressive and authoritarian agendas. Such misuse grows ever more relevant to the European Parliament, resonating with its commitment to safeguarding human rights in the context of digital trans-formation.

European Defence Agency, The EDA action plan on autonomous systems – Preparing the autonomous systems of the future, European Defence Agency, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2836/6119972

Autonomous systems (AS) are increasingly shaping our world, driving significant societal transformations. In today’s fast-evolving and challenging international landscape, where Europe and its Member States (MS) must maintain a technological edge to strengthen defence capabilities, advances in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), networked systems-of-systems, renewable energy, microelectronics, advanced computing, human-machine interfaces, and big data are enabling the development of highly capable AS.

European Defence Agency, (27), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

European Defence Agency looks back at its first two decades - and to the future.

European Union Institute for Security Studies, Andersen, L., Broeders, D. and Csernatoni, R., Emerging and disruptive digital technologies – National, regional, and global perspectives, Andersen, L.(editor), Broeders, D.(editor) and Csernatoni, R.(editor), Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

This volume is based on papers presented and discussed at the conference Closing the Gap 2023, Emerging and Disruptive Digital Technologies: Regional Perspectives, on 6 and 7 December 2023 at Glazen Zaal in The Hague, the Netherlands. The conference was organised by Leiden University, as part of the EU Cyber Direct project, and brought together authors and representatives from numerous institutions around the world.

European Union Satellite Centre, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024.

The year 2023 presented SatCen with its most significant challenges and achievements to date. Russia’s ongoing war of aggression since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the crisis in Gaza from October onwards, dramatically heightened the need for accurate, reliable and timely geospatial intelligence, underlining SatCen’s status as a key provider of EU situational awareness. In view of these unprecedented demands, the Centre demonstrably strengthened its capabilities and operational tempo, exceeding past records and user expectations.

Cybersecurity Service for the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (CERT-EU), 2025.

Generative AI technology has emerged as a transformative innovation with the potential to disrupt industries and reshape society. While predicting its future trajectory is challenging due to the rapid pace of technological evolution, past trends provide valuable insights. The launch of ChatGPT marked a pivotal moment, sparking widespread interest and changing the way businesses and individuals interact with AI. T

Abendroth-Dias, K., Vespe, M., Arias Cabarcos, P., Kotsev, A., Bacco, M. et al., Generative AI outlook report – Exploring the intersection of technology, society, and policy, Vespe, M.(editor), Kotsev, A.(editor), Van Bavel, R.(editor) and Navajas Cawood, E.(editor), Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/1109679

This Outlook report, prepared by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), examines the transformative role of Generative AI (GenAI) with a specific emphasis on the European Union. It highlights the potential of GenAI for innovation, productivity, and societal change. GenAI is a disruptive technology due to its capability of producing human-like content at an unprecedented scale. As such, it holds multiple opportunities for advancements across various sectors, including healthcare, education, science, and creative industries. At the same time, GenAI also presents significant challenges, including the possibility to amplify misinformation, bias, labour disruption, and privacy concerns. All those issues are cross-cutting and therefore, the rapid development of GenAI requires a multidisciplinary approach to fully understand its implications.

European Defence Agency, Innovations hubs overview – Quick reference booklet, European Defence Agency, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2836/8847249

In an era where the velocity of technological advancement is unprecedented, the landscape of defence is rapidly evolving. The European Defence Agency (EDA), through the establishment of the Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI), acknowledges the imperative need to harness and synergize innovations that bolster our collective security and defence capabilities. This booklet serves as a cornerstone in this mission, offering a comprehensive mapping of the most pivotal Innovation Hubs across the globe, with a keen focus on those within European countries.

European Union Institute for Security Studies, Andersen, L., Broeders, D. and Csernatoni, R., in Emerging and disruptive digital technologies – National, regional, and global perspectives, Publications Office of the European Union, 2024, pp. 81-203.

This volume is based on papers presented and discussed at the conference Closing the Gap 2023, Emerging and Disruptive Digital Technologies: Regional Perspectives, on 6 and 7 December 2023 at Glazen Zaal in The Hague, the Netherlands. The conference was organised by Leiden University, as part of the EU Cyber Direct project, and brought together authors and representatives from numerous institutions around the world. The conference was organised by Leiden University, as part of the EU Cyber Direct project, and brought together authors and representatives from numerous institutions around the world. The aim of the conference was to explore the diversity of interpretations regarding the challenges and opportunities associated with various digital emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs), de-centre approaches to their study (which have so far been largely Western or Europe-centric in nature) as well as enrich the state of the art. The chapters in this volume are divided into three sections focusing respectively on ‘national perspectives: policy meets technology’; ‘interstate and diplomatic arenas: navigating critical emerging technologies’; and ‘harnessing quantum technologies nationally and internationally’. In each of the chapters, authors address different geographical locations — be it cities, countries or blocks of countries — in relation to the application or consideration of a range of digital EDTs in different contexts.

European Parliament: Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union, Mölling, C., Hellmonds, S., Csernatoni, R., Oliveira Martins, B. et al., Sovereign, capable, innovative, responsive – Prospects and challenges for EU security and defence policy in the 10th parliamentary term, European Parliament, 2024.

The briefings contained in this volume provide an overview of the challenges ahead in four key areas of EU security and defence policy: defence industrial policy (‘Sovereign: A dynamic defence industrial and technological base’), EU rapid response capabilities (‘Capable: From “paper tigers” to rapid and effective presence on the ground’), technology and innovative in the area of defence (‘Innovative: Keeping the technological edge in the area of security and defence’) and the fight against certain types of hybrid warfare (‘Responsive: Hybrid warfare and the implications of the Wagner model’). Together, they provide an outlook on the major questions that will confront the European Parliament in its 10th legislative term.

European Defence Agency, 2025.

The purpose of this document is to collect, present and describe the aspects of Trustworthiness for AI in Defence in a ‘food for thought’ approach reflecting the combined view of AI experts and stakeholders from Defence Industry, Academia and Ministries of Defence. This effort is performed in the context of the European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Action Plan on Artificial Intelligence for Defence and tries to address the topics of trusted AI and verification, validation and certification requirements analysis.