PHAROS AI Factory Highlights AI Innovation at Cybersecurity Meetup
The PHAROS AI Factory, played a central role in the “AI Enables Cybersecurity Meetup” held on January 14, 2026. Hosted at the OTE Group of Companies Headquarters in Marousi, Athens, the event was organized by COSMOTE TELEKOM in the context of the VIGILANCE and CyberAID project kickoff meetings, with the strategic support of the Big Data Value Association (BDVA). This gathering proved particularly significant for the Data Protection and Data Spaces Task Forces, focusing on the critical intersection of AI and collaborative cyber defense within today’s complex digital landscape.
During the panel discussion titled “Collaborative Cyber Defense in the AI Era,” PHAROS was represented by Dr Denia Kanellopoulou, Researcher at NCSR “DEMOKRITOS”, and Vassilis Katsouros, Director of the Institute for Language and Speech at Athena Research Center. Together with BDVA representative Savvas Rogotis and moderator John Soldatos, the experts examined the practical challenges and strategic opportunities of deploying AI solutions to protect modern organizations. The PHAROS representatives emphasized the project’s dual role as both an accelerator and a protector of innovation. By providing advanced infrastructure, specialized tools, and skill development, PHAROS enables organizations, particularly SMEs, to develop AI-driven cybersecurity solutions that safeguard critical assets. A major point of the discussion was the importance of EU Data Spaces, which serve as trusted mechanisms for sharing intelligence and enabling a coordinated response to global cyber risks.
The conversation also touched upon the technical and ethical requirements of modern AI, such as the need for cyber-resilient-by-design Large Language Models (LLMs) and the use of the AI-on-Demand platform as a sovereign marketplace for responsible solutions. Central to this approach is the "human-in-the-loop" principle, which ensures human oversight and accountability in critical applications. Furthermore, the panel highlighted how European regulatory frameworks provide a necessary foundation for building trust while still fostering rapid innovation.
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