Ethical AI in the Management of Defence Projects: Navigating the Challenges for Responsible Innovation

The availability of powerful AI tools is impacting multiple sectors, including defence. The integration of AI in defence has ethical challenges and concerns, and the vulnerabilities introduced by reliance on AI systems are among the pressing issues that policymakers, military leaders, and ethicists must grapple with. AI in military contexts involves balancing the potential benefits against the risks of escalation, civilian harm, and unintended consequences. This chapter explores two fundamental concepts of AI ethics applied to the defence sector: accountability and trust. Accountability relates to humans' final responsibility in using AI for military applications. Trust is an ongoing journey to a desired state in which humans and machines optimise their relations and balance the desired outcomes with the unintended consequences. A qualitative content analysis of policy documents, academic papers, books, reports, and a series of official and unofficial documents in the burgeoning field of AI ethics in defence contributes to the necessary discussion of AI ethical principles.