Airbus strengthens its commitment to Information Warfare at Eurosatory

On Wednesday, June 17, during the Eurosatory exhibition, Airbus participated in the signing of an agreement to establish a new Research Chair dedicated to the fields of influence and disinformation. 

Named “Lutte contre les Manipulations de l'Information et des Opérations d'influence (LUMIOPS)” [Combating Information Manipulation and Influence Operations], this Chair is the result of a strategic partnership between the Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan Military Academy, Airbus Defence and Space Cyber and the Fondation Saint-Cyr. 

The Chair aims to advance research into countering informational threats, a field that has become essential to military operations. To achieve this, the Chair will leverage both the human expertise and social sciences provided by the AMSCC research center, alongside the technological, digital, and cyber capabilities offered by Airbus. 

Why has information warfare become a matter of national sovereignty?

Information manipulation is an age-old practice, but its nature has been fundamentally transformed by the evolution of social media, artificial intelligence, and other digital media. Today, the speed of data propagation and the power of algorithms can turn information into a potent tool for destabilisation. 

With the spread of AI-generated or modified content, notably "deepfakes" (highly realistic manipulated video or audio), the line between truth and falsehood is increasingly blurred. These tools enable the mass dissemination of content of all kinds, altering our relationship with information and potentially hindering military operations and destabilising societies. 

In this context, combating manipulated information is essential to preserving trust within our societies, preventing propaganda risks, countering political destabilisation attempts, and securing decision-making processes for both citizens and organisations.

The purpose of this partnership

The complexity of influence operations stems from their multidimensional nature: they target both human perception and digital systems. Addressing this threat requires a multidisciplinary approach. 

The signing of the LuMiOps Chair directly addresses this need by bringing together humanities experts and cybersecurity specialists to create a hybrid defense model. The goal is to develop strategies capable of rapidly detecting threats, analysing the intent behind manipulation campaigns, and deploying effective countermeasures in real time. 

For Airbus, this signing marks a commitment to strengthening its involvement in the field of information warfare, particularly through its Rennes site, which is seeing significant growth in AI and cybersecurity.