Our founding story
Is Europe ready for what comes next?
We are living through the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Artificial intelligence is transforming economies, industries, institutions and societies at a pace that is difficult to keep up with.
AI presents extraordinary opportunities for scientific discovery, innovation, productivity, economic growth and human progress. At the same time, the growing capabilities and autonomy of AI systems raise serious questions about cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, national security, democratic institutions and our ability to maintain control over the technologies we develop and use.
The world’s most capable AI models are dominated by the United States and China. Despite Europe’s exceptional research talent, industrial capabilities and economic resources, it has struggled to establish a comparable position at the frontier of AI development.
But this is about much more than technological competitiveness.
AI has become a defining factor in economic prosperity, national security, political influence, geopolitical power and societal resilience. Europe’s position in this global race therefore raises fundamental questions about technological dependence, strategic autonomy, democratic governance and our ability to shape our own future.
Europe has the talent, knowledge, institutions and resources to help shape the AI era. But are we sufficiently prepared to understand its risks, seize its opportunities and respond to what comes next?
Our founding story
The Nordic Institute for AI Risk and Resilience (NIARR) emerged from the professional experience and observations of its founder, Hummam Wasfi (LinkedIn, opens in a new tab).
After more than seven and a half years at Vattenfall, working across governance, risk management, compliance, information security and operational resilience, Hummam went on to lead ART25 Defence, where he is redefining Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) technology for the AI era.
During 2026, he attended major technology, AI, privacy, cybersecurity and innovation events across Europe and beyond, including Hello Tomorrow, TechBBQ, Nordic Tech Week, Nordic Privacy Arena, the Baltic Privacy and Innovation Summit, Data & AI Summit and GISEC GLOBAL.
Across these events, one observation became clear.
It was not only Governance, Risk and Compliance systems that were operating in silos. The entire AI ecosystem was operating in silos, across disciplines, sectors, institutions and professional communities.
Technology forums focused on innovation and adoption. Many investor discussions centred on short term growth, revenue opportunities and the latest AI products, with relatively little attention to longer term risks and societal consequences. Privacy and policy gatherings concentrated on legislation and regulation, while cybersecurity events focused on threats and technical security.
Each community had valuable knowledge and expertise, but the conversations often took place separately.
Researchers, policymakers, public institutions, businesses, startups, SMEs, investors and civil society were contributing to the AI landscape, yet their perspectives and priorities were rarely brought together.
The fragmentation was not limited to organisations. It extended across technology, economics, law, public policy, cybersecurity, governance, national security and the social sciences.
As a result, discussions about frontier AI risks, coordinated responses and national and societal resilience were often disconnected from conversations about innovation, investment, productivity and economic growth.
Europe has the expertise and resources to address these challenges. However, fragmented knowledge, bureaucratic complexity and slow decision making can stand in the way. At strategic and policymaking levels, gaps in understanding emerging AI capabilities and risks make informed decisions even more difficult.
This is not an argument against regulation or democratic oversight. Both are essential. The challenge is to connect existing expertise, improve understanding and enable institutions to respond more effectively.
The problem is not simply a lack of expertise or ambition. It is that the people, disciplines and institutions needed to understand and respond to AI’s wider implications are not sufficiently connected.
NIARR is institutionally independent of ART25 Defence and of any other commercial undertaking.
Perspectives from Europe’s AI ecosystem
At Nordic Tech Week in Stockholm in 2026, Hummam asked an investor panel whether the cybersecurity risks posed by frontier AI were overhyped or underhyped.
Markus Lukk of Antler responded: “Underhyped.”
At the same event, Rebecka Löthman Rydå of Norrsken Evolve presented her 5C Model: Compute, Capital, Courage, Community and Collaboration.
- 01ComputeGreater access to the computing infrastructure required to develop and deploy advanced AI.
- 02CapitalInvestment capable of supporting innovation and scaling European technology companies.
- 03CourageThe willingness to experiment, adopt emerging technologies, and move beyond prolonged pilot phases.
- 04CommunityStronger ecosystems where entrepreneurs, industry, researchers, and experts can build together.
- 05CollaborationCloser cooperation between startups, established companies, academia, and other institutions.
Her message addressed what Europe needs not only to compete in the AI era, but also to strengthen its ability to defend itself.
These discussions reflected an important part of the thinking behind NIARR.
Europe needs technological capabilities, investment and innovation. But it also needs informed leadership, stronger communities, collaboration across disciplines and the willingness to confront difficult questions about emerging risks.
Competitiveness, security and societal resilience should be part of the same conversation.
Quoted with attribution. Neither is affiliated with NIARR or endorses it.
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