The Croatian Data Protection Authority (AZOP) has warned, through its director, about the increasing risks related to artificial intelligence and the rise in personal data breaches.

The director, also vice-chair of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), emphasized that the authority had already received in 2026 twice as many data breach notifications under Article 33 of the GDPR than for the entire year 2025, a trend observed throughout the European Union. Artificial intelligence (AI) reduces the time needed to exploit vulnerabilities and introduces new risks beyond security breaches, such as the unlawful or excessive use of data for system training, their accidental disclosure, or their conversion into harmful decisions. He particularly warned about AI agent systems capable of interacting with other applications, highlighting the need for an integrated approach to cybersecurity, privacy protection, and responsible AI. This approach must include risk assessment throughout the system's lifecycle, security by design, regular testing, clear allocation of responsibilities, and effective human oversight.