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This panel examines how automation is reshaping defence strategy, operations, and decision-making at the highest levels. As autonomous systems, AI-enabled analytics, and machine-assisted command functions mature, defence institutions are confronting fundamental questions about force design, risk tolerance, and human control. The discussion frames automation not merely as a technical capability, but as a strategic shift with implications for how military power is generated, governed, and employed.
Bringing together perspectives from senior defence leadership, frontier defence technology development, and strategic investment in national security innovation, the panel explores the operational and political consequences of automation in defence. Particular attention is paid to alliance interoperability, escalation dynamics, and the governance of automated systems under real-world conditions. The conversation highlights how automation may accelerate decision cycles, widen capability gaps, and challenge established norms of command and accountability—underscoring the need for strategic adaptation at both institutional and international levels.
