AI across security domains Conference: Law, power, and governance in a fragmented landscape

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes embedded across the entire security landscape?

Join us on 1 April 2026 for a one-day conference hosted by the T.M.C. Asser Instituut in The Hague exploring how AI is transforming global security—and how law and governance must respond. Bringing together experts from academia, policy, defence, industry, and civil society, the event will examine how different security sectors are grappling with similar legal, ethical, and governance challenges.

AI technologies are rapidly reshaping military operations, cyber activities, law enforcement, border management, and counter-terrorism. Yet efforts to govern these technologies remain fragmented. Discussions on military AI unfold in fora such as the United Nations General Assembly and the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, while regulatory initiatives such as the EU AI Act focus primarily on civilian and dual-use applications. At the same time, private sector actors play an increasingly influential role in shaping both technological development and the norms surrounding its use.

This conference looks beyond these silos to explore shared challenges across domains. Questions of algorithmic targeting, discrimination and bias, accountability for cyber operations, predictive policing, biometric surveillance, and AI-enabled decision support increasingly arise across different security contexts. Addressing them requires understanding how international humanitarian law, international human rights law, criminal law, and disarmament regimes interact with domestic regulation, soft-law instruments, and emerging ethical governance frameworks.

Through five thematic panels—AI-enabled targeting, AI and cyber operations, AI in law enforcement and criminal justice, the role of the private sector, and governance and regulation—the conference aims to foster dialogue across communities that do not often meet but face related challenges.

A keynote by Lorna McGregor will reflect on recent AI developments and the importance of meaningful engagement with stakeholders throughout the AI lifecycle.

What can you expect?

Together, we will explore questions such as:

• How can governance frameworks address the cross-cutting risks posed by AI across different security domains?
• What legal and ethical challenges arise when AI is used in targeting decisions, cyber operations, or policing?
• How should accountability be ensured when AI systems shape or influence security decisions?
• What responsibilities do private sector actors hold in the development and deployment of AI for security purposes?
• How can international law and domestic regulation work together to ensure responsible AI use?

Who are the speakers?

• Lorna McGregor – Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Essex (Keynote)
• Daragh Murray – Reader in International Law, Queen Mary University of London
• Tasniem Anwar – Assistant Professor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Nick Wobma – Deputy Head, Law Branch, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence
• Peter Pijpers – Colonel / Associate Professor, University of Amsterdam
• Mathew Cross – Counsel, Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court
• Lodovica Raparelli – Head of Research and Projects, Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice
• Iulia Motoc – Judge, International Criminal Court
• Bart Custers – Professor of Law and Data Science, Leiden University
• Ilia Siatitsa – Programme Director and Senior Legal Officer, Privacy International
• Marijn Hoijtink – Associate Professor of International Relations, University of Antwerp
• Dawn Liu – Programme Manager (Research and Training), Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance

Who is it for?
This event is designed for researchers, policymakers, legal practitioners, technologists, and civil society actorsinterested in the governance of artificial intelligence in security contexts.

Whether you work on international law, technology policy, defence, human rights, or digital governance, this conference offers an opportunity to exchange perspectives and connect with others working to ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly across security domains.