Editorial Preserving the human component in AI By Gaston Moonen 5

The Architecture of Intelligence By Matt Stroud, author and technologist 7

Parallel tracks : AI and platforms in the EU By Ian Gauci, GTG Legal, Malta 13

ECA Journal Long read Artificial intelligence and protecting knowledge systems in the European Union By Professor Raluca Csernatoni, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Fellow at Carnegie Europe 17

‘I want this continent to become an AI Continent’ Interview with Henna Virkkunen, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy 24

The European Commission’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework: a new brick for building digital sovereignty By Vincent Coudrin and Philippe Merle, Directorate-General for Digital Services, European Commission 28

Advancing EU public administration readiness for AI Act compliance By Wojciech Wiewiórowski, European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) 34

‘I have no doubt: AI’s advantages far outweigh all the négatives!’ Interview with Jörg Petrovič, ECA Member and Reporting Member for the ECA’s AI strategy 38

AI – is the EU picking up pace? By Mihails Kozlovs, ECA Member 43

The ECA’s audit of the EU’s microchips ambitions – examining an industrial ecosystem By Rafał Gorajski, Investement for cohesion, growth and inclusion directorate, and Austin Mloney, private office of Annemie Turtelboom, ECA Member 48

From promise to practice: how AI is shaping ECA audits By Emanuele Fossati, ECA Directorate of the Audit Quality Control Committee 53

Directors’ cut ‘Artificial intelligence as a thinking partner’ Interview with ECA directors Ioanna Metaxopoulou and Marco Barros Lourenço 58

Digitalisation of the Czech public administration: between ambition and reality By Štefan Kabátek, Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic 65

Digital transformation and the changing role of supreme audit institutions By Burhan Gün, Rudi Turksema and Colin van Noordt, Netherlands Court of Audit 69

From experimentation to integration: advancing AI in European public audit By Alvar Nouakas, National Audit Office of Estonia 75

Governing AI while building it – accountability in the EU’s digital transformation By Andreas Braun and Hazal Kantarci, PwC Luxembourg 80

When the rulebook arrives before the road is built By Mustafa Elmoslhey, space engineer and entrepreneur 84

AI for access to justice – an important opportunity By Assistant Professor Hannes Westermann, Maastricht University 89

‘Safeguarding technology is a shared responsibility that begins with those who develop and deploy it’ Interview with Katarina Wallin Bureau, Microsoft 92

The curse of Big Tech: how digital giants are eroding the constitutional foundations of liberal democracy By Professor Reijer Passchier, Professor of Digitalisation and Constitutional Democracy, Open University of the Netherlands, and Assistant Professor of Constitutional Law, Leiden University 96

‘For democracies legitimacy comes from protecting the rights of their citizens, also on AI…’ Interview with Michael McNamara, Member of the European Parliament and European Parliament rapporteur on AI 101

Foresight and audit The future of AI in audit – opportunities and challenges By Anna Zygierewicz, Directorate of the Presidency 107

Foresight and audit What does AI say about its impact on the future of audit? AI-assisted article, reviewed by Daniela Hristova, Directorate of the Presidency 111

New ECA Members ‘Supreme audit institutions are pillars of democracy!’ Interview with Pierre Moscovici, ECA Member since 11 January 2026 116

New ECA Members ‘Professionalism is the key trademark of the ECA’ Interview with Daniel Caspary, ECA Member since 1 March 2026 121

Reaching out Maintaining forward momentum on gender equality By Annemie Turtelboom, ECA Member and Dean of the Investment for cohesion, growth and inclusion Audit Chamber 126

Reaching out Our outreach work on the EU’s next seven-year budget – 12 ECA opinions published this winter By Damijan Fišer, Directorate of the Presidency 129

Focus ECA publications from January to June 2026 134

Next edition EU efforts to combat fraud and corruption 144