The Security and Technology Programme (SECTEC) of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) will deliver a Summer School on Security and Technology with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Member States of the Organization of American States.

The lectures and interactive sessions will be targeted at a non-technical audience consisting of government representatives, policymakers and diplomats with limited (or no) pre-existing understanding of AI and its use.

The learning objectives for the course are as follows:

  1. To develop a basic understanding of how AI works, including main strengths and limitations.
  2. To develop a more detailed understanding of the nexus between AI and cybersecurity.
  3. To develop an understanding of possible applications of AI in the military and broader security context, including in relation to malicious information operations.
  4. To develop an understanding of AI risks and related international AI governance efforts.
  5. To develop an understanding of the legal and ethical dimensions of AI in the security domain, including gender issues.

Format

The Summer School will be delivered over five half-days during the week, from Monday 16 September to Friday 20 September 2024.

The format will be virtual, and the course will be delivered in English with Spanish interpretation, by a combination of UNIDIR experts and external speakers.

In partnership with