Can I authenticate my app to use Core APIs without end-user involvement?

No. It is essential that your app is granted permission by a BQE CORE user in order to obtain an access token. However, you can request the offline_access scope to obtain a refresh token in addition to the access token. If granted this scope, your app can then use the refresh token to seamlessly acquire new access tokens behind the scenes without further user interaction. Check API Documentation for more details.