Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence has apologised for publishing AI-generated images of euro banknotes featuring weapons and military equipment, clarifying that Defence Minister Yuriko Backes had not approved the social media post. The images, published on Thursday, depicted future euro banknotes bearing weapons, tanks, and combat aircraft.
The images were presented as an alternative contribution to the public debate launched by the European Central Bank over designs for the next generation of euro notes.
Following a wave of criticism, the directorate said it understood the concerns expressed by members of the public and regretted that the images may have caused confusion or offence. It said the publication was inspired by a social media trend in which other European defence institutions had also proposed their own banknote designs.
The aim was to showcase Luxembourg's military capabilities, including equipment developed in Europe and deployed to support the security and defence of the Euro-Atlantic area.
The directorate stressed that the images were not intended to promote militarism. It said appropriate military capabilities were necessary to protect the values embodied by Luxembourg and the European Union, including peace, democracy, human rights, and freedom.
The directorate reaffirmed its commitment to responsible communication and said it had sought to raise awareness of practical European defence issues in a format suited to social media.
