Europol has issued a stark warning about the growing role of artificial intelligence in facilitating organised crime, pointing to its increasing use in areas such as child sexual abuse image creation, money laundering through cryptocurrency, and cybercrime.
The European police agency stressed that technological advancements, including the potential rise of quantum computing, are exacerbating the threat posed by criminal groups.
Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle described the agency’s report as a “wake-up call” for law enforcement agencies across Europe, urging them to step up their efforts to combat these rapidly evolving threats.
She highlighted that the future of European security rests on the actions taken today by law enforcement and that they must not allow organised crime to dictate the rules.
The 80-page report outlined how AI is increasingly being used as a “catalyst” to enhance and accelerate criminal activities.
AI’s versatility and accessibility have made it a valuable tool for criminals, from drug and human trafficking to identity theft and financial crimes.
Generative AI, for instance, allows criminals to target victims globally across multiple languages and even create explicit images of children by manipulating adult content.
Europol also raised concerns about the growing use of cryptocurrency to launder money, making it more challenging for authorities to track and seize ill-gotten gains.
As technology evolves, law enforcement’s ability to confiscate criminal proceeds has stagnated, with only around two per cent of criminal profits being recovered.
The report also highlighted the increasing sophistication of criminal networks and warned that emerging technologies, such as quantum computing, the metaverse, and 6G, could make it even harder to combat crime.
In particular, quantum computing could soon be able to break current encryption methods, rendering traditional security measures ineffective.
Europol further raised the chilling possibility of fully autonomous criminal networks, where AI could run entire gangs, presenting a new frontier for law enforcement.
