Designing the Future of Secure Intelligence: A Vision for AI-Enabled Cyber-Resilient Ecosystems

This vision paper presents a consolidated perspective developed through six European initiatives—VIGILANCE, CyberAId, ENFORCE, ACT4FOOD, CTIS4NIS, and 5G-TACTIC—working together through the Cyber-Resilience Synergy Network (CRSN). It examines how Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity-by-design, autonomous decision-making, proactive threat detection, Zero Trust approaches, secure data sharing, and collaborative intelligence can support the development of trustworthy and cyber-resilient next-generation digital ecosystems.

Drawing on shared methodologies, technological prototypes, pilot deployments, and validation activities, the paper proposes a common roadmap for integrating AI-driven automation, proactive cyber defence, federated and collaborative AI, secure and interoperable data spaces, and application-driven intelligence into future large-scale digital infrastructures. The discussion spans critical infrastructures, telecommunications, financial services, industrial environments, and food supply chains.

The paper also considers trustworthy AI, human oversight, regulatory alignment, scalability, distributed learning, digital sovereignty, capacity building, and emerging research challenges. It concludes by presenting a common architectural vision and identifying research and policy directions for strengthening European digital autonomy and societal resilience.

Version note: This Zenodo record contains the preprint version of the publication.

Published version: The final publication appears in Artificial Intelligence Applications and Innovations: AIAI 2026 International Workshops, IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, Volume 796, pp. 158–178, Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2027.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-30507-7_10