Cybersecurity and digitalisation have become a central subject of debate and concern in the European Union (EU). Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the migration of daily activities (such as education, healthcare, and work) to the online sphere, resulting in a proliferation of digital threats. This underscored the difficulty of safeguarding individuals and their security in the digital realm. The EU is facing a major dilemma in how to remain relevant in the digital realm while safeguarding its core values. In this vein, in March 2021, the Commission presented the 2030 Digital Compass with a vision for the digital economy and society’s future. The EU has adopted a cybersecurity strategy under the label of a human-centred approach in the digital domain, aspiring to be a human-centric digital development model, albeit often with an emphasis on frames such as "strategic autonomy", "geopolitical Commission" and “digital sovereignty”. However, what does ‘human-centred’ mean? Employing the human security concept as our analytical framework, this contribution offers an analysis of the EU's approach in the cyber and digital domains. We undertake a frame analysis to scrutinise whether and to what extent human security has been diffused in the EU's cybersecurity strategies. While identifying an overarching framework conveying the EU core values, the present study also uncovers certain paradoxes within the cybersecurity strategy that compromise the human-centric approach to cybersecurity.

This paper will focus on the Italian legal approach to cybersecurity. It will follow the way the Italian legislature has dealt with the various aspects of regulating unlawful computer activity over the course of over two decades, slowly building up a legal framework able to meet the cyber challenges states meet today. It will investigate how Italy has transposed the EU regulatory framework on cybersecurity, and whether it was one of the leading MS to shape the EU regulatory agenda. It will also look into the Italian position on the applicability of international law to malicious state-sponsored cyber operations, and will assess whether, in the absence of the UK (an internationally recognised cyber power) Italy can take its vacant seat on the EU decision-making table post-Brexit. The aim of the paper is to ultimately assess what the legal preparedness at national level says about the EU regulatory approach to cybersecurity more generally.

The surge of (generative) artificial intelligence (AI) that has gained momentum as of late 2022 has been transforming our perspective on the future of humanity. However, despite the rapid pace of innovation and breakthroughs, and despite initial attempts, there is still a gap in the development in the AI governance and regulatory landscape, while a variety of risks loom large.This paper aims to analyze how the EU, US, and China perceive the future of generative AI and its impact on global dynamics. It will also provide a scenario-based analysis of the foreseeable developments in the geopolitics of AI in the short and medium term.

To that end, the paper explores the socio-technical imaginaries of a future where generative AI takes center stage, using scenario analysis as a tool. To capture socio-technical imaginaries, it combines a comprehensive review of the latest findings in various academic fields that explore the effects of AI with an interpretive analysis of cultural artifacts such as literature, movies, or other media. These artifacts provide insights into societal expectations, aspirations, and fears regarding a future where generative AI takes center stage. This approach is commonly used in social AI studies. Thus, by combining scholarly debates, cultural analysis, and a foresight method, we can gain valuable insights into the potential future of generative AI. This approach takes into account the various factors that drive change in this field, including technology, politics, economics, and society. This integration promotes a more detailed examination of possible future directions, considering not just the factors that drive them, but also the cultural and societal context, as well as the expectations and concerns related to generative AI.

The core of the paper is a scenario matrix, generated by critically analyzing three crucial factors: the speed of generative AI advancement and implementation, the level and type of international collaboration and competition in generative AI research and utilization, and the efficacy of global governance and regulation in overseeing AI development and usage. The paper examines the potential of the EU to develop a strong and effective framework for addressing the challenges of AI geopolitics, in a world in which, for now, the field is dominated by the US and China.