Overview

This project examined the ethical governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the defence domain, addressing the urgent need for robust frameworks as AI becomes increasingly integrated into defence operations. Without adequate governance, significant risks arise, including algorithmic bias, escalatory conflict, and violations of Just War Theory and international humanitarian law.

The project was structured in two phases. The first mapped and analysed the external factors — political, cultural, and strategic — that shape the development and adoption of ethical governance frameworks for AI in defence, producing an analytical framework for identifying key barriers, including geopolitical rivalry, fragmented international regulation, and public narratives that prioritise military superiority over ethical considerations.
The second phase examined internal organisational factors, drawing on academic and grey literature from high-risk domains such as defence, security, and healthcare. This analysis led to the specification of a theoretical framework to address the friction between defence necessity and ethical principles for the use of AI in defence and policy design solutions to develop effective ethical governance of AI in this domain.

Link to the Research Group’s page below.

Project website