On 26 november, as part of the New Tech Roundtable series by the EU Cyber Direct – EU Cyber Diplomacy Initiative and implementing partner Carnegie Europe, we hosted the roundtable "AI-Powered Drones and Swarms: New Disruptions in Europe’s Security and Defence?". The discussion was held in collaboration with the Peace Research Institute Oslo’s (PRIO) RegulAIR: The integration of drones in the Norwegian and European Airspaces project.
The roundtable explored what technological “disruption” means for Europe’s security future as AIpowered drones and swarms move from concept to battlefield reality. Drawing on lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and cutting-edge developments in the U.S. and China, the discussion will assess how the accelerated adaptation of dual-use emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs), particularly AI, combined with low-cost, scalable mass production of drones, is redefining Europe’s strategic landscape.
The discussion explored how AI-enabled drones and collective swarming systems are transforming Europe’s defence innovation ecosystems. It also mapped the evolving constellations of state, industrial, and corporate actors driving these developments, while addressing the widening gap between civilian AI regulation and military applications. In this regard, “swarming” is a paradigmatic case of human-machine teaming and collective autonomy that challenges accountability frameworks.
Participants considered the international and European dimensions of governance and ethics, focusing on responsibility by design and deployment, minimising civilian harm, preventing escalation, and strengthening confidence-building measures.
The event also took stock of recent European and transatlantic initiatives to research, develop, and deploy such technologies. Ultimately, the discussion sought to identify pathways for responsible innovation, resilient defence preparedness, and accountable autonomy in the era of intelligent and autonomous systems.
