VIENNA: Austria said Thursday that it will sue European aerospace giant Airbus over a $2-billion sale of Eurofighter jets that has long been plagued by allegations of kickbacks.
A government probe concluded that the Airbus and Eurofigher consortium had “deliberately misled the Austrian Republic on the real price, delivery capabilities and its equipment” of the deal signed in 2003.
“Austria would have never decided to buy the Eurofighter jets in 2003 without the fraudulent deception by Airbus and Eurofighter,” Defense Minister Hans Peter Doskozil said.
EU member Austria is seeking damages of up to €1.1 billion ($1.16 million) for its largest-ever defense deal, worth around €2 billion.
According to the “Task Force Eurojet” report presented in Vienna, Eurofighter knew that it would not be able to meet the delivery deadline of the 15 planes.
The five-year-investigation also found that Austria had been overcharged for costs that allegedly included backhanders.
“The two companies never informed Austria that the 2-billion-euro deal would include 183.4 million euros of legal but also criminal fees,” Doskozil told reporters.
Ahead of the report’s release, Airbus said in a statement sent to AFP that it was not aware of the Austrian findings and had received “no details” regarding the lawsuit.
However it said that Airbus has been “cooperating with the authorities in recent years, for example through its own enquiries.”
In late January, Airbus had already agreed to pay tens of millions of euros in additional taxes over an allegedly shady 90-million-euro payment linked to the Austrian Eurofighter contract.
Austrian and German authorities launched the current corruption probe into Airbus, then called EADS, to investigate whether officials had been paid millions of euros through advisory firms to secure the contract.
Prosecutors in Munich are set to publish their preliminary findings later this year.
The Eurofighter deal was first announced in 2000 by Austria’s then conservative-run government despite fierce opposition from its far-right coalition partner and the Social Democrats.
The government had initially ordered 24 jets but later dropped the number to 18 and then to 15 because of budgetary constraints.
The purchase of the military fighter jets also stirred public unease in non-NATO neutral Austria.
Shortly after the contract was signed, allegations started to circulate that politicians and others involved in the deal were receiving kickbacks.
A probe was set up in 2007 to look into possible bribes, but came to no firm conclusion.
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a major prestige product for the European defense industry. The first prototypes were made in 1989.
The four founding nations in the consortium — Germany, Spain, Britain and Italy — all use the aircraft in their own air forces.
Austria saw the first sale outside of the four consortium members, and since July 2007 the 15 Austrian jets have clocked up more than 5,000 flying hours, according to the consortium.
In 2006 Saudi Arabia agreed to purchase 72 Eurofighter Typhoons. Other contracts have been signed with Oman and Kuwait.
As well as Airbus Defense and Space, representing Germany and Spain, the consortium includes British group BAE Systems and Italian firm Leonardo.
Eurofighters were used in combat missions in Libya in 2011.
Austria to sue Airbus over Eurofighter deal
Austria to sue Airbus over Eurofighter deal
Artificial intelligence is transitioning into a ‘digital employee’
- AI can be an effective tool, business leaders tell Arab News
- Not about jobs, but ‘convergence of human capital and AI’
RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the world of work, transitioning from a supporting tool to an active partner that is radically changing the nature of professions and productivity standards.
Amidst the current global transformations, an active regional digital environment is emerging.
This is being led by Saudi Arabia through Vision 2030 and massive investments in smart infrastructure, providing a living model for studying the implications of this partnership between humans and machines on the future of work in the region.
Arab News spoke to various business leaders about the emerging shape of the sector.
Salem Bagami, co-founder of Metatalent, said the ideal relationship between humans and machines at work should be complementary and collaborative.
Humans would bring creativity, emotional intelligence, and complex decision-making, while machines excel at processing big data and performing repetitive, precise tasks.
He believes that this type of balanced partnership would lead to unprecedented productivity and innovation.
Mohammad Al-Jallad, chief technologist and director at HPE, said AI has gone beyond being merely an executive tool to becoming a “digital employee” entrusted with automating routine tasks and providing insights based on data analysis.
He believes that the real opportunity lies not in the debate over job replacement, but in “the convergence of human capital and artificial intelligence.”
AI should augment human teams by taking on menial and routine tasks, enabling employees to focus on critical thinking, creativity, and ethical reasoning, significantly improving operational results.
Bagami also emphasized the complementary nature of this partnership. “The ideal relationship between humans and machines at work is one of collaboration, where each complements the others.”
He explained that humans bring creativity, emotional intelligence, and nuanced decision-making, while machines excel at processing big data and performing repetitive tasks efficiently, leading to increased productivity and innovation.
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Salem Alanazi, chairman of Jathwa Technology Co., notes a significant trend among Saudi Arabia companies toward using AI applications to provide faster services to customers at lower costs.
The emergence of the “virtual employee” available around the clock has eliminated the need for some traditional jobs in specific sectors.
Alanazi warns that some companies’ reluctance to adopt AI may expose them to real risks. “All those who hesitated to benefit from AI applications have a lack of understanding of these technologies.”
He said those who adopt these technologies will be able to offer lower-cost, higher-quality services, which will affect the market position of companies that lag behind.
Ali Aljumhour, CEO of VALUE Consultancy, said that the transition of AI into a partner has reshaped the list of most in-demand skills in the job market.
Skills such as “prompt engineering,” “human-machine integration,” and “digital ethics” are becoming increasingly important.
He added that AI has become an instantly available “technical knowledge base,” shifting the criteria for professional distinction toward those capable of smart interaction with these technologies.
In terms of ethics, transparency, and trust, Alanazi points to the complexities of global AI governance, where legislation overlaps and evolves rapidly to keep pace with potential risks, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and privacy.
Al-Jallad emphasizes this crucial dimension, noting that providing responsible and reliable AI solutions that meet the highest standards of transparency is a key priority, especially in regulated sectors.
Bagami believes there should be basic standards for the ethical use of Al, emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and fairness, along with using diverse data sets to prevent bias and protect privacy.
He believes that building trust between humans and machines requires clear explanations of how systems work, giving users the opportunity to provide feedback and conducting periodic performance reviews.
On performance evaluation, Aljumhour said: “I expect radical changes in standards, shifting from measuring individual effort to evaluating the quality of the partnership between humans and machines.”
There should be a focus on the quality of inputs provided to intelligent systems, the accuracy of review and modification, and complex decision-making based on outputs.
He warns, however, of new risks that may arise, such as over-reliance on AI or difficulty in determining responsibility for mistakes.
In the employment sector, Aljumhour expects fundamental changes in standards.
There will be questions and tests focusing on measuring skills in dealing with AI, such as asking candidates about their experiences of collaborating with these systems, or testing their ability to formulate effective requests for complex tasks.
Aljumhour identifies significant human challenges in this transition, with “fear, loss of power, and exclusivity of knowledge” being the biggest concerns for experienced employees.
