On 1 April 2026, the T.M.C. Asser Instituut will host a one-day conference in The Hague examining how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global security ecosystem—and how law and governance must respond. Titled Artificial Intelligence across Security Domains: How to Secure AI?, the event brings together leading experts from academia, policy, defence, industry, and civil society to bridge the gap between AI regulation and governance in diverse security domains.
AI technologies are rapidly transforming military operations, cyber activities, law enforcement, border management, and counter-terrorism. Yet governance efforts remain fragmented. Debates 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 address civilian and dual-use applications. At the same time, private sector actors increasingly shape both technological development and normative frameworks.
This conference moves beyond siloed analysis. It asks what lessons can be drawn across domains where similar legal and ethical challenges recur: algorithmic targeting, discrimination and bias, accountability for cyber operations, predictive policing, biometric surveillance, and the integration of AI into decision-support systems. It explores how international humanitarian law, international human rights law, criminal law, and disarmament regimes interact with domestic regulation, soft law instruments, and ethical governance frameworks. It also situates these debates within contemporary geopolitical dynamics, marked by technological competition, asymmetries of power, and deep public–private entanglement.
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 seeks to foster cross-fertilisation across security contexts. A keynote address by Lorna McGregor will reflect on contemporary AI developments and the need for meaningful engagement with stakeholders throughout the AI lifecycle. By convening diverse expertise, the conference aims to lay the groundwork for a holistic and practically oriented approach to securing AI across security domains.
Speakers
- Dr Daragh Murray, Reader in international law Queen Mary University
- [ICRC speaker]
- Dr Tasniem Anwar, Assistant Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Nick Wobma, Deputy Law Branch Head at the NATO CCDCOE
- Dr Peter Pijpers, Col./Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam
- Mathew Cross, Counsel at the Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Court
- Lodovica Raparelli, Head of research and projects at the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice
- Judge Iulia Motoc, Judge at the International Criminal Court
- Prof Bart Custers, Professor of Law and Data Science at Leiden University
- Dr Ilia Siatitsa, Programme Director and Senior Legal Officer at Privacy International
- Dr Marijn Hoijtink, Associate Professor of International Relates at the University of Antwerp
- Dawn Lui, Programme Manager, Research and Training at the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
