Microsoft has announced a free cybersecurity programme for European governments in an effort to strengthen defenses against rising digital threats, including those involving artificial intelligence. The programme, revealed on Wednesday, is designed to enhance intelligence sharing on AI-based threats and enable faster detection and disruption of cyberattacks.
The decision comes amid a notable surge in cyber incidents across Europe, many of which are attributed to state-sponsored actors from China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, according to intelligence agencies.
AI both a weapon and shield in modern cybersecurity
Speaking to Reuters, Microsoft President Brad Smith highlighted the dual role of artificial intelligence in cyber operations. While malicious actors increasingly use generative AI to scale disinformation campaigns and disrupt infrastructure, Smith emphasized that AI is also becoming a powerful defensive tool.
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“We don’t feel that we have seen AI that has evaded our ability to detect the use of AI or the threats more broadly,” Smith said. He added that Microsoft actively tracks any misuse of its AI products and bars known cybercriminals from accessing these tools.
Microsoft aims to replicate U.S. cybersecurity strengths in Europe
Smith noted that the new programme will bring more of Microsoft’s U.S.-based cyber capabilities to Europe, with plans to announce further initiatives later this month. “If we can bring more to Europe of what we have developed in the United States, that will strengthen cybersecurity protection for more European institutions,” he told Reuters.
Disinformation threats and deepfakes on the rise
The programme launch also reflects growing concern about the role of AI in generating fake content that can influence public opinion. Smith pointed to high-profile incidents such as a deepfake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and an AI-generated audio clip that affected elections in Slovakia. So far, he said, audio has been easier to fake than video.
As generative AI technologies evolve, Microsoft’s new initiative signals a strategic push to keep defensive tools advancing ahead of their offensive misuse.
