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ECB Orders Eurozone Banks To Prepare For AI-Driven Cyber Threats

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 8, 2026

The European Central Bank has given eurozone banks until October 31 to submit plans outlining how they will defend against AI-enabled cyber threats, reflecting growing concern among regulators over the impact of artificial intelligence on financial stability.

Regulators Raise The Alarm On AI-Powered Cyber Risk

The ECB’s directive comes as increasingly sophisticated AI models are expanding cyber capabilities, raising concerns about the resilience of critical financial infrastructure.

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Some frontier AI systems, including Anthropic’s Mythos, have become so capable that access to them has been restricted, a limitation that currently applies to eurozone banks.

“These developments have potentially profound implications for the confidentiality, integrity and resilience of banks’ information and communication technology (ICT) systems,” the ECB said in a letter to bank chief executives.

Focus Shifts To Critical Systems

The central bank instructed lenders to prioritise internet-facing systems and other critical technology assets, including third-party software and open-source components. It also called for faster vulnerability management, stronger monitoring capabilities and improved cyber hygiene.

Beyond technical safeguards, the ECB urged banks to modernise ageing infrastructure and strengthen crisis management, recovery planning and information-sharing arrangements.

To support the initiative, the ECB has postponed a separate IT survey and said it may adjust inspections and other supervisory activities.

Cybersecurity Becomes A Financial Stability Issue

In a separate warning issued alongside the ECB’s letter, the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) said large-scale cyberattacks could undermine confidence in financial institutions and, in severe cases, trigger runs on banks or jurisdictions perceived as less secure.

“The ESRB considers these developments to be a source of systemic risks to the financial system,” the board said.

The report outlines a range of scenarios, from gradual losses of confidence in individual institutions to coordinated attacks targeting payment, clearing and settlement systems, potentially amplified by disinformation campaigns.

According to the ESRB, cyber incidents could spread rapidly through shared software providers and common technology platforms, allowing a single breach to escalate into a broader financial disruption.

A Growing Priority For Banks

The ECB’s latest guidance underscores how cybersecurity is becoming a core prudential issue rather than simply an operational concern.

As banks deepen their reliance on digital infrastructure, cloud services and third-party technology, regulators increasingly view cyber resilience alongside capital, liquidity and risk management as a key pillar of financial stability.

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X Bets On A Better Video Editor To Lure Original Creators And Reduce Recycled Content

X is rolling out new video editing and recording tools for its iOS app as the platform seeks to encourage more original content and strengthen its creator ecosystem.

A Push Toward Original Video

The update introduces several features aimed at helping creators produce and edit videos directly within the app. New tools include multilingual caption overlays with customizable styles and green-screen effects that can use photos from a user’s camera roll or other posts on X.

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“One of our biggest priorities is to give creators the tools to create original content [and] reward those creators,” X Head of Product Nikita Bier wrote in a post on the platform.

“We have plenty more updates coming to the video editor in the coming weeks,” he added.

Encouraging Native Content

According to Bier, the goal is to make it easier for creators to publish original videos on X rather than reposting content from other platforms.

Video has become an increasingly important part of X’s strategy. Bier said posts containing video already account for nearly half of all impressions on the platform, investing in creator tools a key priority.

Competition For Creators Intensifies

The launch comes as major social media platforms compete to attract and retain creators through editing tools, audience reach and monetisation programmes.

While X already offers creator revenue sharing, it faces competition from platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Meta, all of which provide more mature creator ecosystems and established content management tools.

Meta, for example, allows Reels creators to report unauthorised reposts and add attribution to eligible content, while YouTube has long relied on automated systems to identify copyrighted uploads.

Spam And Bots Remain A Challenge

The new editing tools also arrive as X continues its broader efforts to combat spam and automated accounts. Earlier this year, Bier said the company was detecting and suspending around 208 bots per minute, adding that a significant share of the product team remained focused on anti-spam development.

The challenge extends beyond X. Reddit has introduced AI-powered tools to combat increasingly sophisticated spam, while Digg shut down its app earlier this year after citing the growing difficulty of managing automated content.

For now, X’s new video editor and recorder are available only on iOS, while the Android version remains under development.