AI-enabled tools are being rapidly developed and deployed by organizations across sectors. Defense and military organizations are no exception. As AI is being used more and more all the way from the back office to the battlefield, ethical considerations for how and when this set of technologies is used deserve increased attention. The potential impacts for military operations, as well as the global and human security implications, require dedicated discourse and analysis to ensure AI serves as a benefit to global stability and prosperity.

In this interactive panel session, we will discuss:

• How has AI, such as autonomous decision making systems, agentic AI and genAI, changed the security landscape?
• What does AI transformation mean in military settings and how does this compare to friction points found in other sectors?
• How does the often uncertain regulatory environment around AI impact use in this sector, particularly for deployments across international boarders or when working in multilateral environments such as NATO?
• How can we develop and deploy AI ethically and responsibly given the dual-use nature of the technology when it comes to security/military contexts?

Caitlin Corrigan is the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence at the Technical University of Munich. In this role, she has overseen the research agenda of the IEAI since the institute opened in 2019. Caitlin holds a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests include good governance, sustainable development and corporate social responsibility, particularly in developing country settings. To this end, she co-founded the Responsible AI Network – Africa. She has over ten years of experience in designing and implementing research and data collection, developing and managing research projects and coordinating funding proposals. Corrigan has published several articles in academic journals and is the editor of the IEAI Research Brief Series. She has worked as a consultant for local and international NGOs though her organization the Research Group for Sustainable Impacts (RG-SI).

Brigadier General David Barnes, PhD (US Army, Retired) is a senior executive and preeminent authority in artificial intelligence (AI), strategic digital transformation and innovation leadership. With extensive military, academic and technology experience, David has shaped organizational strategies and technological advancements in defense, healthcare, cybersecurity and higher education. As the founder and CEO of Empowering AI, he empowers boards and senior leaders to capitalize on AI-driven opportunities, ensuring they align innovation with strategic objectives and operational excellence. David’s pragmatic approach to digital transformation combines advanced governance frameworks and risk management techniques to unlock growth while addressing regulatory complexities. His distinguished career includes serving as Professor, United States Military Academy and the Chief AI Ethics Officer for the US Army AI Integration Center, where he spearheaded the Army’s Responsible AI Strategy, encompassing risk frameworks, education and governance, and he advised organizations including IEEE, DARPA and NATO and served as a fellow at Oxford University’s Institute for Ethics in AI. His leadership and academic excellence demonstrate his proven ability to inspire high-performance teams, develop cross-enterprise solutions and coach senior leaders in adapting to dynamic, technology-driven environments. He currently serves as a Visiting Professor at TUM’s Institute for Ethics in AI.

Lance Lindauer is a Visiting Affiliate Researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Bennett School of Public Policy, and an Affiliate Researcher at the Technical University of Munich’s Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence. Lance is the Co-Founder & Executive Director Emeritus of the Partnership to Advance Responsible Technology (PART), a Pittsburgh-based NGO dedicated to the responsible research, development, deployment and governance of AI systems used to address global challenges across societies. He is also a founding Partner at Genus Research Group, an R&D firm dedicated to emerging-technology innovation within public sector domains. Lance spent nearly a decade at the RAND Corporation, serving in roles such as the Director of Operations for RAND’s National Defense Research Institute and an Innovation Consultant.  He also served a stint at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and has been an Adjunct Professor of Intelligence Analysis. Lance has a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from WV Wesleyan College, and a Master’s in Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellow.  In 2024, he was awarded with WV Wesleyan College’s Alumni Achievement Award.

Join us to be a part of this lively discussion, as we move this important conversation forward.

This TUM IEAI event will take place on September 24th, 2025 at 11:30 am (CEST) at the TUM Think Tank.

This event is being photographed and/or video recorded for archival, educational, and related promotional purposes. We also video stream many of these video recordings through the IEAI website. By attending or participating in this event, you are giving your consent to be photographed and/or video recorded and you are waiving any and all claims regarding the use of your image by the Institute of Ethics in Artificial Intelligence. The IEAI, at its discretion, may provide a copy of the photos/footage upon written request.