Welcome to ICYMI – a weekly snapshot of European news stories that have given me pause for thought. ICYMI is a chance for you to go beyond the front-page headlines and find out what other stories may be worthy of your attention. This week:
- What will happen to Netherlands’ long-awaited digital strategy now that the Dutch government has collapsed?
- What does SXSW London reveal about the future of creativity?
- Are you sure that voice note is from a real person or could it be a voice clone?
As we shared on LinkedIn, the Dutch government collapsed last week following the withdrawal of the far-right PVV party, after the coalition failed to reach consensus on asylum policy. But it’s not just immigration legislation which will be impacted.
The Netherlands’ long-awaited National Digital Strategy, which was due to be published on Friday, may never see the light of day in its current form.
The strategy, led by outgoing State Secretary Zsolt Szabo, is said to have focused on reducing dependency on non-European cloud providers, strengthening national digital resilience, and raising digital literacy across sectors, according to BNR.
With the cabinet now in caretaker mode and Szabo stepping down, the strategy’s future is uncertain. Although some parts could still progress with parliamentary support, others may be deprioritised or reshaped by a future administration. With national elections not expected before the autumn, that could mean a long wait.
SXSW London opens with a challenge to AI’s creative convenience
London hosted its first-ever SXSW last week, with venues across Shoreditch and Spitalfields welcoming a mix of technologists, creatives, and cultural leaders.
While much of the media coverage focused on the event’s energy and eclectic programming – including a royal visit from King Charles and more than 1,000 speakers – I was interested to see the impact of AI on creative industries discussed.
As Computer Weekly reports, Iconic CEO James Kirkham and Adidas VP Erika Wykes-Sneyd warned that the rise of AI-powered tools could risk dulling creativity, limiting independent decision-making, and reshaping the way younger generations learn, think and create.
At the heart of the conversation was a growing concern that AI is subtly reducing individual expression – and that education, business and public discourse must evolve quickly to preserve the human traits that underpin innovation and culture.
The timing is noteworthy. The debate around AI and creativity comes just as the UK government faces strong resistance over copyright exemptions for AI.
As The Guardian reports, the House of Lords voted to amend the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill to require transparency in AI training data and protect creators’ rights.
Together, these developments suggest growing alignment between cultural and legislative pushback – and greater scrutiny on how AI systems interact with intellectual property, education and the creative economy.
Voice cloning attacks raise urgent questions about digital trust
Warnings over the growing threat of AI-generated voice fraud have intensified following a series of incidents that highlight how convincing this technology has become.
In one example covered by Usine Digitale, cybersecurity expert Jake Moore demonstrated how he cloned a colleague’s voice using public video footage, then used the synthetic voice to send a WhatsApp message requesting a money transfer.
The same report also referenced a more serious case involving Susie Wiles, a former adviser to Donald Trump, whose voice was allegedly cloned and used in fraudulent messages to senior officials, prompting an FBI investigation.
These scams, which are often combined with techniques like SIM swapping where attackers hijack a phone number, are becoming more difficult to detect and are undermining longstanding assumptions about voice as a trusted form of verification.
As synthetic audio becomes more advanced, organisations will face growing pressure to rethink internal security processes, approval mechanisms, and communications protocols. The challenge is not only technical – it is reputational, operational, and, increasingly, strategic.
