
First global summit on AI in the military domain
This first summit on responsible AI in the military field in The Hague attracts more than 1,000 participants, including ministers, policy makers, academics, business leaders, civil society organizations and journalists from around the world.
By inviting all relevant stakeholders, the Dutch government wants to share and build knowledge and understanding of military AI internationally, break through the silos between different stakeholders and move this topic higher on the international political agenda.
Academics and other stakeholders are invited to submit research and position papers. TNO supports this initiative and publishes a position paper especially for this summit.
Position Paper: Operationalization of meaningful human control for military AI, a way forward
In this position paper, a short opinion piece, TNO presents the (multi-level) Socio-Technological Feedback Loop (STFL). This is an approach that can be widely used for the responsible deployment of AI systems, including in the military domain.
The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has fueled thinking about, but also the development and use of intelligent and autonomous systems in the military domain. As AI continues to develop, the opportunities for AI to do parts of human work will also increase. We see potential benefits for the armed forces in increasing the speed, efficiency, effectiveness and safety of operations.
The STFL is a methodology for properly involving all stakeholders in the governance, design, development and deployment of AI-based systems. This methodology must lead to clear assigned responsibilities and the by people desired outcomes of military operations.
Get inspired
Eppo Bruins on AI in different government domains
Michiel van der Meulen, chief geologist for the Geological Survey of the Netherlands (GDN), speaks with Eppo Bruins. Bruins was educated as a nuclear physicist and has spent many years working in the world of science, innovation, and technology. Between 2015 and 2021, he was a Dutch member of parliament for the Christian Union. He was recently appointed chairman of the Advisory council for science, technology and innovation (AWTI). What will AI mean for the various government domains in the coming years?


Bas Haring on AI, science and philosophy
Michiel van der Meulen, chief geologist for the Geological Survey of the Netherlands (GDN), speaks with Bas Haring. Haring originally studied artificial intelligence, which at the time still fell under the umbrella of philosophy, which is why people started calling him a philosopher. He himself feels more like a ‘folk philosopher’: Haring tries to make science and philosophy accessible to a wider audience. In 2001, he published a children’s book about evolution, Cheese and the Theory of Evolution. What better springboard for a geologist and a philosopher to talk about AI?


Innovation with AI
What does that world look like in concrete terms? Using numerous examples, TNO has created a prognosis for the future in Chapter 2. Regarding construction, for example, in which AI will be used to check the quality, safety, and energy efficiency of buildings before they are actually built. Or healthcare, where robots will partly take over caregivers’ tasks and AI will be able to autonomously develop medicines.


Educating AI
You can read about how AI is educated in Chapter 1. How can we make clear to AI which goals we want to pursue as humans? Andhow can we ensure intelligent systems will always function in service of society?


Innovating with innovation AI
How AI will change research itself is explained in Chapter 3. For example, what role will AI be permitted to play in knowledge sharing? And what will happen when we make machines work with insurmountably large data sets?

