Algorithmic Arms Race: Balancing Offensive and Defensive AI in Cyberspace

As AI reshapes the battlefield, adversaries are shifting from isolated prompt queries to deploying autonomous agents that orchestrate multi-step attack lifecycles, automated reconnaissance, and hyper-targeted cognitive warfare at machine speed. Nowhere is this operational shift more urgent than across Central and Eastern Europe, where critical infrastructure, supply chains, and logistical corridors face relentless pressure from sophisticated state actors like Sandworm, Fancy Bear, and Ghostwriter. Yet this algorithmic race is far from predetermined; defenders hold structural advantages rooted in global telemetry, deep architectural visibility, and data scale. This session will explore the emerging frontier of AI-native defense, examining how autonomous Cyber Reasoning Systems and automated zero-day discovery can flip the traditional asymmetry of cyberspace. Finally, we will unpack the strategic and operational imperatives required to secure the expanding AI attack surface and maintain cognitive and digital resilience in an era of contested algorithms.