The inaugural Global Conference on AI, Security and Ethics 2025 (#AISE25) will provide a unique forum for the diplomatic ecosystem in Geneva and the wider multistakeholder community, including academic experts, civil society organizations, industry representatives and research labs interested in the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) in security and defence.
The rapid advancement of AI has put these technologies at the forefront of global policy discussions. Policymakers and regulators worldwide have begun to recognize the urgency of shared understandings, norms and regulations that transcend national borders and individual interests, including in the context of AI’s applications for security and defence.
The international community has started to undertake several efforts to address the complex implications of AI in security and defence. Most recently, the First Committee approved Draft Resolution A/C.1/79/L.43 which requests, among others, the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States, observer States, international and regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, civil society, the scientific community and industry on the opportunities and challenges posed to peace and security by the applications of AI in the military domain.
Against this backdrop, UNIDIR is launching its Global Conference on AI, Security and Ethics, to be held annually as a flagship event that brings together the diplomatic community – as well as experts from the military, industry, academia, civil society organizations and research labs – to jointly consider and address the complex implications of AI for national, regional and global security and resilience.
The conference, open to all, is organized as part of the Roundtable for AI, Security and Ethics (RAISE) – an initiative led by UNIDIR in partnership with Microsoft. By convening experts from diverse backgrounds and across geopolitical divides, RAISE intends to foster inclusive and multisectoral engagement by promoting open dialogue and cooperation.
Agenda: Day 1
08:30–09:15: Registration
09:15–09:30: Opening Remarks
- Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
09:30–10:15: Opening Panel (UN Leaders)
This opening panel will convene UN Leaders for an exchange on AI, peace and security.
- Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations
- Nur Sulnya Abdullah, Special Adviser and Chief SPM Department, International Telecommunications Union
Moderated by Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
10:15–11:50: Addressing Destabilization
This segment of the programme will consist of a series of lightning talks and thematic deep-dives on addressing destabilization induced, enabled and/or exacerbated by AI.
- 10:15-10:20: Introduction, Jingjie He, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Facilitator)
- 10:20-10:30: The Unseen Militarization of Civilian AI and the Rise of Algorithmic Warfare – Yuyin Liu, Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (Lightning Talk)
- 10:30-11:05: Building a Defence AI Strategy: The Dutch Approach – Jeroen van der Vlugt, Netherlands Ministry of Defence (Deep-Dive)
- 11:05-11:40: Circumventing security: Autonomous drones and security in urban environments, Troels Boe, Advisor to the Danish Tech Ambassador in Silicon Valley (Deep-Dive)
- 11:40-11:50: Multi-dimensional security risks and social destabilization concerns of AI, Krishnakumar Gurumurthy, VolvoCars (Lightning Talk)
- 11:55-12:25: Fireside Chat: A Conversation with H.E. Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology, United Arab Emirates
UNIDIR will host a fireside chat with H.E. Omran Sharaf and moderate a dialogue with the audience.
12:30–13:30: Lunch Panel: Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain
Select members of the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain will provide an overview of the Commission’s work, progress and the way ahead.
- Denise Garcia, Northeastern University
- Pak Shun Ng, Ministry of Defence, Singapore
- Thompson Chengeta, Liverpool John Moores University
- Roy Lindelauf, Netherlands Defense Academy
Moderated by Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR
13:30–15:55: Lifecycle Management
This will consist of a series of thematic deep-dives on the management of AI technologies’ lifecycle in the context of security and defence.
- 13:30-13:35: Introduction, Alexi Drew, ICRC (Facilitator)
- 13:35-14:10: Deep-dive, Ben Fawcett, Advai
- 14:10-14:45: AI on the Battlefield: Building Trust and Accountability Through Digital Forensics – Drexx Laggui, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, Philippines (Deep-dive)
- 14:45-15:20: Responsible AI vs AI Assurance: A Semantic Showdown – Jane Pinelis and Kerstin Vignard, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (Deep-Dive)
- 15:20-15:55: Addressing Safety and Risk in the AI Development Lifecycle – Charles Bradley, Google (Deep-Dive)
Coffee will be served at 14:45 outside the room.
16:00–17:50: Data Practices
This will consist of a series of lightning talks and thematic deep-dives on data practices in the context of AI development, deployment and use for security and defence.
- 16:00-16:05: Introduction
- 16:05-16:15: Crowdsourcing with AI-Armed Citizenry – May-Ann Lim, Director of Multilateral Relations, Data Policy and Partnerships, Access Partnership (Lightning Talk)
- 16:15-16:45: Navigating Military AI: How to Build a Responsible and Ethical Data Ecosystem – Frederick Okello, Balsillie School of International Affairs (Deep-Dive)
- 16:45-17:20: Auditable, Controllable, Transparent, Secure (A.C.T.S.) Now: Why Machine Learning Operations Must Govern AI in Critical Systems and High-Stakes Domains – Simon Polichinel von der Maase, PRIO (Deep-Dive)
- 17:20-17:50: TBC
17:50–18:00: Closing of Day 1
Agenda: Day 2
08:30–09:15: Registration
09:15–09:20: Opening Remarks
- Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
09:25–10:10: Opening Panel – Tech Leaders
This opening panel will convene Tech Leaders for an exchange on AI, peace and security.
- Michael Karimian, Director, Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft
- David Sully, CEO, Advai
- Jibu Elias, Country Lead for India, Responsible Computing Challenge & Fellow, Mozilla
- Moses B Khanyile, Director, Defence Artificial Intelligence Research Unit, Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
- Arnaud Valli, Head of Public Affairs, Comand AI
10:15–12:00: The Human Element
This segment of the programme will consist of a panel, lightning talks and thematic deep-dives on clarifying the human element in the context of AI development, deployment and use in security and defence.
- 10:15-11:10: Panel Discussion
- Paolo Benanti, Pontifical Gregorian University
- Iveren Dusai-Adam, Nigerian Navy
- Vadim Kozyulin, Diplomatic Academy of Russia
- Moderated by Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR
- 11:15-11:50: The Purpose of Human Engagement for AI-Enabled Weapons Systems – Jovana Davidovic, Peace Research Institute of Oslo (Deep-Dive)
- 11:50-12:00: Balancing Algorithms and Interpretation: The Role of AI in Vulnerability and Conflict Assessments – Yhasmin Mendes de Moura, FAO (Lightning Talk)
12:00–13:00: Lunch Panel: Regional Perspectives on AI, Security and Ethics
Select speakers will exchange on regional perspectives surrounding the development, deployment and use of AI for peace and security.
- Hussein Allawi, Office of the Prime Minister, Iraq
- Baudouin Ngah Akoh, UNDP
- Bagus Jatmiko, Indonesian Navy
- Naveen Kumar Samuel Kori, Centre for Public Policy and Good Governance
- Francisco Rodriguez, FLASCO Ecuador
- Guangyu Qiao-Franco, Radboud University
Moderated by Yasmin Afina, Researcher, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR
13:00–15:25: Knowledge and Capacity Building
This segment of the programme will consist of a panel, lightning talks and thematic deep-dives on fostering knowledge and capacity building in the context of AI development, deployment and use in security and defence.
- 13:00-14:00: Panel Discussion
- Jason Dass, Senior Legal Counsel from the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago
- Pak Shun Ng, Ministry of Defence, Singapore
- Xiao Qian, Vice Dean, Institute for AI International Governance and Deputy Director, CISS, Tsinghua University
- Moderated by Yasmin Afina, Researcher, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR
- 14:00-14:05: Governance at the Speed of AI: Empowering Military and Policy Leaders – Abderrahman Lamine Mokhtar, Future Digital LLC (Lightning Talk)
- 14:05-14:40: Leveraging AI to Support Knowledge Management for Uniformed Military Personnel in UN Peacekeeping Operations – Avishan Bodjnoud, United Nations Peace Operations – Chief Information Management Unit (Deep-Dive)
- 14:40-14:45: Semantic Bridges: Why Ontologies Are Key to Multi-Domain Success – Camille Haaby (Lightning Talk)
- 14:45-15:15: Presenting “West Point Manual” on the International Law Applicable to Artificial Intelligence in Warfare – Klaudia Klonowska, Asser Institute (Deep-Dive)
- 15:15-15-25: Lessons from the Nuclear Weapons Age for Managing AI Development – Joon Baek, Columbia University (Lightning Talk)
Coffee will be served at 14:45 outside the room.
15:30–17:00: Trust-Building
This segment of the program will consist of a panel discussion on trust-building in the context of AI development, deployment and use in security and defence.
- 15:30-17:00: Panel Discussion
- Ambassador Robert in den Bosch, Disarmament Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, Netherlands
- Ambassador Bilal Ahmad, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Pakistan
- Ambassador Camille Petit, Permanent Representative of France to the Conference on Disarmament
- Ambassador Si-jin SONG, Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Moderated by Giacomo Persi Paoli, Head, Security and Technology Programme, UNIDIR
17:00–17:30: Closing Remarks
- Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, United Nations
- Robin Geiss, Director, UNIDIR
Further information
For any questions, please contact Yasmin Afina at yasmin.afina@un.org.
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