New mapping study, on cybercrime, electronic evidence and artificial intelligence, approved during the 35th T-CY Plenary

Back New mapping study, on cybercrime, electronic evidence and artificial intelligence, approved during the 35th T-CY Plenary

Ahead of the Octopus Conference 2026, the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY), made up of the state parties to the Cybercrime Convention, approved a Cybercrime, electronic evidence and artificial intelligence: Mapping study, drawing on the practical experience of prosecutors and experts from more than 25 countries worldwide.

The study explores how AI intersects with cybercrime, including offences committed against AI systems, the use of AI to facilitate criminal offences, and the challenges of establishing criminal responsibility when AI systems are involved.

It examines threats such as data poisoning, prompt injection and model theft, as well as the use of AI to generate malware, ransomware and child sexual abuse material. It also considers the complex questions raised by increasingly autonomous or agentic AI systems, particularly where criminal conduct may not have been directly instructed or foreseen by the operator.

The study confirms that AI systems fall within the scope of the Budapest Convention’s definition of a computer system. It also highlights the potential of AI to support crime prevention and criminal justice, while stressing the importance of human oversight, transparency, accountability and safeguards for human rights and the rule of law.

The study recommends strengthening cooperation with the AI industry, service providers and civil society; developing practical resources on AI, cybercrime and electronic evidence; and promoting collaboration across relevant Council of Europe treaties, such as the Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law and the Convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.

By bringing together experience from across jurisdictions, the study provides a basis for further international cooperation in addressing the evolving challenges of AI and cybercrime.

Download the study: Cybercrime, electronic evidence and artificial intelligence: Mapping study