Politics · Spain · 12 hrs ago
Spain’s tax agency chief warns AI could help people commit fraud
Spain’s tax agency chief Antonio Ansón warned that AI could help people commit fraud at a meeting of state tax inspectors.
AI can find weaknesses that people may miss and help build more sophisticated schemes to hide activity.
The same tools can also improve the agency’s ability to detect fraud, but they may make it harder to trace transactions.
Ansón said the tax agency needs to adapt to these risks as the technology develops.
He called for highly qualified technology staff and said the agency may need professionals with both tax and technical expertise.
The agency must keep effective control of its technology, Ansón said, because its independence depends on it.
The agency is still considering how to adapt to the changes.
Spain’s tax agency chief Antonio Ansón warned that artificial intelligence could help people commit increasingly sophisticated fraud.
He said tools that improve the agency’s ability to detect wrongdoing can also help people hide transactions and make their activities harder to trace.
Ansón said the tax agency needs highly qualified technology professionals and may need to rethink how tax and IT specialists work together.
He also warned that the agency’s independence depends on keeping effective control over the technology it relies on.
He made the remarks in a closing speech at the 36th annual congress of the Association of State Tax Inspectors.
- Who
- Antonio Ansón, director general of Spain’s Tax Agency (AEAT).
- What
- He warned that artificial intelligence could assist fraud and said the agency must adapt.
- When
- At the 36th annual congress of the Association of State Tax Inspectors. The article was published on October 30, 2026.
- Where
- At the congress; the location is not stated.
- Why
- AI tools can help people hide transactions, make non-compliance more sophisticated and hinder the tracing of their activities.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ansón took office as head of the Tax Agency.
Ansón delivered the closing speech and warned about AI’s risks for fraud and the agency.
- Agency chief
- Antonio Ansón
- Agency
- Spain’s Tax Agency (AEAT)
- Event
- 36th annual congress of the Association of State Tax Inspectors
- Article publication
- October 30, 2026
- Time in post
- About two months at the time of the speech
What people are saying
We cannot allow technology to become an ally of fraud
The same tools that allow us to improve our control capacity can be used by those who seek to hide transactions, make their mechanisms of non-compliance more sophisticated or make their activities harder to trace
The independence of the tax administration also depends on its ability to maintain effective control over the technology on which its operation depends