The integration of artificial intelligence into military operations is accelerating, with applications spanning the full spectrum of warfare, from strategic planning to operational execution. While international legal norms and emerging soft-law initiatives provide an initial foundation for military AI governance, this foundation remains fragile and insufficient to address the deployment of military AI in contemporary conflict settings. In this context, the private sector, particularly major AI developers, has assumed an expanded role not only as a technology supplier but also as a stakeholder shaping policies, standards, and governance discourses at national and international levels. Grounded in security governance theory and literature on the role of private actors, this paper examines military AI governance through a modern conflict-related case study. Drawing on critical discourse and document analysis, it explores how international legal norms, principle-based initiatives, and corporate governance frameworks operate in practice. The analysis suggests that the role of private actors in global governance, often portrayed as increasingly expansive, is more nuanced in sensitive security environments, where state actors continue to exert dominant influence. The paper highlights the limitations of soft law and voluntary commitments and underscores the need for binding legal instruments, clearer allocation of responsibility, and effective oversight mechanisms applicable to both states and private actors.

Authors:
Elza Ganeeva, Independent Public Affairs Consultant, Netherlands

About the Presenter(s)
Elza Ganeeva is a public policy professional and independent researcher based in Amsterdam. Her interests include international security and AI governance. Her current project examines the role of private actors in military AI governance.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elza-ganeeva/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

Bookmark