Artificial intelligence is fuelling organised crime, from the creation of child sexual abuse images to money laundering through cryptocurrency, Europol has warned, and advances such as quantum computers are only making the situation worse.

In a report on organised crime threats, the European police organisation said criminals were seizing the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence as a "catalyst" to accelerate their activities.

"Rapid technological advances - especially in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) - are changing the way crime is organised, committed and concealed," Europol said in a threat assessment report.

"These changes are making organised crime more dangerous, posing an unprecedented security challenge to the EU and its member states," the police added.

The use of artificial intelligence and other technologies is helping criminals across their entire portfolio, from drug and human trafficking to cybercrime and identity theft.

Generative AI allows criminal groups to strike their targets more globally in multiple languages and even generate images of child sexual abuse, the police report warns.

"Obvious photos of adults can be manipulated to make them look younger, or apps can 'nude' non-obvious photos," the report said.

"The very qualities that make AI revolutionary - accessibility, flexibility and sophistication - make it an attractive tool for criminals," Europol notes. | BGNES