2026 Nr. 1: Spring Update – What We're Working On

Hi there,

The beginning of this year has been a tumultuous one in the tech policy space. From American accusations about the DSA as censorship to the role of AI, chips, and disinformation in the Iran war, questions of digital regulation, security, and economic power are increasingly converging in real time – and raising a host of pressing questions. Here’s a look at what we’ve been working on.

But before we dive in, we’d like to ask for your help in better understanding how our work in cybersecurity is landing in practice. If this is your area and you’ve been following our activities, we’d really value your input.

We’ve put together a short survey to learn more about how interface’s cybersecurity contributions shape the policy landscape. We want to better understand the real-world impact of our work – where it is useful and where it may fall short. Your responses are confidential, and the survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Looking ahead, we’ll also be at re:publica (18-20 May in Berlin), one of Europe’s leading conferences on digital society and tech policy. Come meet our team there! Our AI and chips experts will discuss Europe’s infrastructure push and why compute alone won’t deliver innovation, while our digital rights expert Thorsten Wetzling will speak on the planned reform of Germany’s intelligence service and its implications for democracy. More info here.

Happy reading, 

Luisa Seeling
Lead Writing, Editing & Publishing

---

Our Latest Policy Papers 

Building a Centralised National AI Authority: Poland's AI Act Implementation Model in a European Context

by Jan Króliński

AI Fellow Jan Króliński highlights that Poland is taking a distinct approach to implementing the EU's AI Act by creating a single, centralised authority, rather than relying on multiple existing regulators. He argues that this model could improve coordination and legal clarity, but also raises questions about independence, resources, and sector-specific expertise.

The UN’s New Global Mechanism on Cybersecurity: How Europe Can Advance Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace

by Christina Rupp

Christina Rupp explains why the UN’s new permanent cybersecurity mechanism marks a shift from fragmented, ad hoc processes to a more coherent global framework. She argues that it offers the EU a key opportunity to shape global standards, but that its impact will depend on how the working groups are designed.

Who Powers Europe's Twin Transition? Mapping Green Skills, Talent Hubs, and Strategic Gaps in Europe's AI Workforce

by Catherine Schneider

Catherine Schneider shows that only a third of Europe’s AI workforce has significant green skills, with talent concentrated in a few hubs – creating structural gaps for both the green and digital transitions. She argues that without targeted efforts to expand and diversify this talent pool, Europe risks falling short of both its climate and AI ambitions.

Direct Emissions in Semiconductor Manufacturing Are Increasing Again – What Is Behind the Shift? 

by Maria Nowicka & Julia Christina Hess

Julia Christina Hess and Maria Nowicka find that emissions in Europe’s semiconductor sector are rising, driven by growing production and the energy-intensive nature of chip manufacturing. At the same time, limited and inconsistent disclosures make the overall impact difficult to assess. The paper is accompanied by an interactive Emissions Tracker, which allows users to explore company-level data and compare emissions across the sector.

Decoupling Infrastructure and Talent: Insights From Finland 

by Siddhi Pal & Catherine Schneider

Siddhi Pal and Catherine Schneider show that Finland’s strong investments in AI compute infrastructure have not translated into comparable gains in talent, highlighting a gap between compute capacity and AI talent ecosystems. They argue that without targeted policies to attract and retain talent, infrastructure alone will not be enough to strengthen Europe’s AI capacity.

The State of Cyber Confidence-Building Measures: How Governments Implement Multilateral Measures to Create Trust in the Cyber Domain

by Helene Pleil 

Helene Pleil's analysis finds that while cyber confidence-building measures are widely agreed at the multilateral level, their implementation remains uneven and often difficult to assess. She argues that looking beyond formal commitments to actual state practice reveals both gaps and overlooked forms of progress that are key to sustaining trust in cyberspace.

---

interface in the Media

This is a selection; you can find more media contributions on our website. Please note that some content may be behind a paywall, and not all of it is in English. 

• Handelsblatt: Wie Künstliche Intelligenz im Irankrieg zur Waffe wird
  Sven Herpig warns that AI-driven disinformation in conflicts like the Iran war can have spillover effects, including mobilising audiences in countries like Germany. (March 20)

• Cybernation: Cybereffekte im Iran-Krieg und die Bundesregierung will zurückhacken

  In the second episode of his new podcast, Sven Herpig discusses cyberpolitical developments, including the cyber dimension of the Iran war, alongside longer-term strategic questions with co-hosts Alexandra Paulus and Johannes Steger. (March 18)

• Bloomberg: Iran War Chokepoints Begin to Cast Doubt on Global Chip Supply
  Julia Hess comments on the Iran war’s potential impact on global chip supply chains. (March 16)

• The Resilient: The EU’s big bet on AI infrastructure needs a workforce focus
  In her op-ed, Catherine Schneider evaluates the gap between European AI infrastructure investment and talent development. (March 11)

• Politico: The AI doom list is long. The political answers are still short.
  Siddhi Pal cautions against preliminary predictions on how AI will shape the job market. (March 9)

• Lage der Nation: Iran: Israel greift auch digital an
  In this podcast episode, Sven Herpig provides insights into the parallels between kinetic and digital warfare that can currently be observed in Iran. (March 4)

• TRT World: US military's AI use in Iran raises concern about its risks
  Sven Herpig explains how AI efficiency gains impact warfighting in Iran. (March 3)

• Politico: The EU moves to kill infinite scrolling
  Lena-Maria Böswald highlights that the EU’s move to treat addictive design as an enforceable risk under the DSA marks a turning point in European platform regulation. (February 12)

• Euractiv: Parliament says Commission’s ‘Democracy Shield’ against disinformation too weak
  Lena-Maria Böswald criticizes the voluntariness of EU members’s participation in the Commission’s anti-disinformation initiative Democracy Shield. (January 21)

• The Parliament: What will make or break the EU in 2026? Platform regulation caught in geopolitics
  Lena-Maria Böswald argues the importance of focusing on users first in platform regulation, rather than geopolitical narratives. (January 2)

---

Debating Policy: Events & Panels

• Workshop on EU's AI Strategy at arbeit.digital future conference (Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, ÖGB, AK Wien)
  In the workshop, Julia Hess developed a critical perspective on the EU's AI Compute Strategy.

• Position Statement (Stellungnahme) on the German Government’s Draft Cybersecurity Law
  Sven Herpig submitted a written statement as part of the official stakeholder consultation process, analysing the Interior Ministry’s proposal to expand cyber defense powers and raising concerns about "active cyber defense" and gaps in coordination, transparency, and resilience.

• interface Background Discussion: Germany's Reform of Foreign & Military Intelligence
  Thorsten Wetzling discussed a leaked draft law for a comprehensive foreign intelligence reform in Germany with investigative journalist Florian Flade. Watch the recording. 

• The DSA and Platform Regulation Conference 2026 (DSA Observatory)
  Jessica Galissaire presented her work on age assurance, while Lena-Maria Böswald focused on platform reporting procedures for German online users.

• interface Background Discussion: Social Media Restrictions for Minors – What Can Europe Learn From Australia?
  Lena-Maria Böswald spoke with Tom Sulston (Algorithm Watch Australia) about lessons from Australia’s social media ban for minors. Watch the recording or read the summary.

• Official Pre-Event for the India AI Impact Summit
  The Embassy of India and interface co-hosted this panel discussion on global AI talent development and the New Strategic EU-India Agenda. A summary is available online.