Hybrid Threats, the role of AI and EU responses
22.04.2026
17:00 - 18:30
oiip
Währinger Strasse 3/12, 1090 Wien
This public event examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping hybrid threats in the digital sphere. Bringing together perspectives on large-scale adversarial networks and the online practices of Salafi-jihadi violent extremist organisations, it explores how AI is being used to produce, amplify and disseminate harmful content across multiple platforms and audiences. Particular attention is paid to the growing role of Large Language Models, image and video generators, and combinations of automated and human-driven networked activity in propaganda, disinformation and influence operations. The discussion situates these developments within the wider European security context, where online manipulation increasingly exploits social vulnerabilities and blurs the boundaries between terrorism, extremist communication and broader hybrid threat activity. By connecting strategic, technological and policy perspectives, the event aims to provide an accessible overview of current trends, emerging risks and possible responses at both platform and EU level.
Discussants:
Miron Lakomy
is a Professor at the Institute of Political Sciences, the University of Silesia, Poland, and a non-resident fellow at the ITSTIME research centre in Italy. He is an open-source intelligence trainer and investigator with over 10 years of experience in analysing terrorist activities across various layers of online communication. During his academic career, he held multiple visiting research positions, among others, at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the European University Institute, and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. His research primarily focuses on various aspects of political violence and terrorism on the Internet, as well as military conflicts.
Ali Fisher
is Explorer of Extreme Realms at Human Cognition Ltd., and Lecturer at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan where he is also Fellow of the ITSTIME research center. Ali is the creator of Mujahid Mind AI and the BlackLight data feed, tools that provide near real-time insights into Salafi-Jihadi exploitation of the internet. For more than 20 years, Ali has served as an advisor, strategist, and author, producing deep strategic insights into complex information ecosystems—including those involving extreme or illegal content. He brings a unique dual expertise in Strategic Communication and Data Science. In addition to his academic research, Ali has worked on strategic communication initiatives for both European and U.S. government departments, with a focus on achieving and measuring influence.
Moderation:
Daniela Pisoiu
Senior Researchert at the oiip
In cooperation with the Ministry of Defence bmlv.