| Sebastian GEORGESCU, Ph.D candidate*
Abstract: The digital transformation of transnational organized crime has significantly changed the way networks involved in migrant smuggling operate. Social media platforms, instant messaging applications and other digital tools are already integrated into various stages of organizing and facilitating illegal border crossings. The rapid development and growing accessibility of generative artificial intelligence, however, introduce a new dimension to the phenomenon. The article analyzes the transition from the use of digital tools to the emerging integration of artificial intelligence, distinguishing between already documented practices, developing trends and prospective risks. To this end, an analytical model based on five functions (5F-AI) is proposed: expansion, identification, interaction, concealment and amplification, through which artificial intelligence can amplify the efficiency and scale of the activities carried out by organized crime groups. In parallel, the article examines how AI tools can support law enforcement authorities and border management structures in processing large volumes of information, conducting risk analysis, identifying relevant connections and developing investigative leads. Particular attention is given to the relationship between migrant smuggling and human trafficking, as well as to the legal and ethical limits on the use of artificial intelligence within the European regulatory framework. The study argues for the need for an intelligence-led response model, supported by technology and kept under human control, in which artificial intelligence complements, without replacing, professional expertise and human decision-making. Keywords: migrant smuggling; illegal migration; AI; organized crime; border management; OSINT; risk analysis. DOI 10.56082/annalsarscimilit.2026.3.21 * CAROL I National Defence University, email: sebastian.georgescu13@yahoo.com. |
PUBLISHED in Annals Academy of Romanian Scientists Series on Military Sciences,
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