Europe must build a deterrence system against warfare conducted with artificial intelligence, similar to the doctrine of mutually assured destruction from the Cold War. This was the call made by Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who heads the country’s Ministry of Digital Affairs.
According to him, the number of cyberattacks in Poland could increase tenfold in 2027. The reason is the rapid development of large language models and wider access to them. Gawkowski warned that the threat no longer comes only from cybercriminals, but also from state adversaries.
„This is a digital war in Europe,“ Gawkowski said.According to him, Poland is among the countries on the front line, while other European states have not yet been directly affected. He warned that this could change, as artificial intelligence turns cyberattacks into a „force multiplier“ for military capabilities.
Supermarket attacks as a warning
Gawkowski described the cyberattacks on dozens of supermarkets in Europe during the week as a warning of more serious consequences. The attacks disrupted the operation of refrigerators and freezers, while losses reached millions.
The Polish deputy prime minister said that such actions could be only the beginning of larger-scale attacks against critical infrastructure. According to him, artificial intelligence systems could be used to infiltrate power plants, hospitals and other facilities on which the normal functioning of society depends.
„If you attack us, we will strike back,“ he said.Gawkowski named Russia and Belarus among the countries whose actions Europe must monitor closely. In his view, deterrence will not work unless European states clearly demonstrate that they have the capability and readiness to take retaliatory action.
Call for a change in European policy
The Polish representative rejected the practice of describing cyberattacks merely as „hybrid warfare“. In his view, this definition may downplay the scale of the actions and delay the allies’ response.
He called on European countries to change their national strategies and direct more resources towards the security of digital systems. Gawkowski compared attacks on power plants, supermarkets and hospitals with conventional assaults and said they should be treated as a modern act of war.
NATO’s artificial intelligence strategy was last updated in 2024. According to Gawkowski, technological development and the expected rise in attacks require a new approach to Europe’s collective security.