With the final talks and round tables, which focused on governance, sovereignty and the regulation of AI in Spain, the 2nd Conference on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain has come to a close. The closing of the two-day event was led by the Director of the Centre for Information and Communications Systems and Technologies (CESTIC), Lieutenant General José María Millán Martínez.

The conference, organised by the State Secretariat for Defence (SEDEF) together with the public company Ingeniería de Sistemas para la Defensa de España (ISDEFE), brought together representatives from the Armed Forces, public institutions, companies, universities, research centres and think tanks involved in the development and application of artificial intelligence technologies.

The event's success exceeded all expectations. More than 630 registered attendees from 212 different organisations confirmed the genuinely tripartite nature — Defence, industry and academia — of a conference that set a new attendance record. These figures show that responsible AI in defence is now a strategic priority for the Spanish business community.

Conclusions of the conference

The main conclusion presented was that responsible AI must stop being a theoretical debate and become an operational advantage for our Armed Forces. Given the speed at which other powers are advancing, the only possible response is to strengthen collaboration between Defence, industry and academia.

Building on this premise, three lines of work were identified: maintaining a permanent channel of dialogue with national ICT companies, driving domestic developments in responsible AI that safeguard our technological sovereignty, and involving universities, leading Spanish experts and strategic think tanks in the debate.

The 2nd Conference on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain has been officially opened in Soria with the aim of advancing governance and promoting the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) applied to Defence.

The event has been organised by the State Secretariat for Defence (SEDEF), through the Centre for Information and Communications Systems and Technologies (CESTIC) and the Directorate-General for Strategy and Innovation of the Defence Industry (DIGEID), together with the public company Ingeniería de Sistemas para la Defensa de España (ISDEFE).

The official opening was led by the Secretary of State for Defence, María Amparo Valcarce, who was welcomed by the Mayor of Soria, as well as by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, including the Director General of CESTIC, Lieutenant General José María Millán.

In her opening remarks, Valcarce stressed that "the real challenge is not simply incorporating artificial intelligence, but doing so responsibly, with safeguards and a strategic vision." She also highlighted the importance of maintaining human control over increasingly autonomous systems and of advancing an innovation ecosystem in which Defence, academia and industry work together to turn knowledge and technology into real capabilities.

A space for collaboration between Defence, industry and academia

The conference's main objectives are to strengthen dialogue and collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and national companies in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector; to drive the development of national AI capabilities; and to encourage the participation of universities, research centres and leading experts.

The programme included several talks, panels and round tables. Among them, the round table 'Technological sovereignty and safeguards for responsible and trustworthy AI in defence' addressed the need to develop domestic technological capabilities and to ensure that AI is developed and used safely and responsibly.

Meanwhile, the round table 'The data war' examined the strategic value of information and the importance of proper data governance for the development and application of AI systems.

Collaboration with the academic and scientific community also played a prominent role in the programme. The panel 'University and responsible AI: research, standards and evaluation' addressed these issues from the perspective of research and the development of standards and evaluation mechanisms. A dedicated round table also covered the training, leadership, doctrine and AI culture needed to prepare Defence for the transformation this technology brings.

The programme was rounded off with a use-case exhibition area, where institutions and companies presented real-world AI applications, including solutions for process automation, predictive analysis, assisted decision-making, cyber defence and operational simulation.

The conference will continue tomorrow with a second working session, in which the main reflections and contributions from the event will be shared. This session will also allow the conclusions of the second edition of the Conference on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain to be drawn.

On 22 and 23 September, the conference will address the opportunities and challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), with particular attention to its responsible use. It will bring together representatives from the Ministry of Defence, universities, research centres and companies from the technology and defence sectors.

The conference will be officially opened on Tuesday 22 September at 11:30 by the Secretary of State for Defence, María Amparo Valcarce García.

Media wishing to attend must request accreditation before 09:00 on Tuesday 22 September by email to: comunicacion.cestic@mde.es, stating the following:

• Full name.
• National ID or passport number.
• Media outlet and role.

Accreditation badges may be collected — subject to personal identification — from the SEDEF/CESTIC press office inside the Palacio de la Audiencia in Soria from 10:45 on Tuesday 22 September.

The Director General of the Centre for Information and Communications Systems and Technologies (CESTIC), Lieutenant General José María Millán, together with the Sub-delegate Colonel of Defence in Soria, Ángel Esparza, met with the civil authorities of the province as part of the preparations for the 2nd Conference on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain, to be held on 22 and 23 September at the Palacio de la Audiencia in Soria.

The meetings, held with the Mayor of Soria, Javier Antón; the Deputy Vice-President of the Provincial Council, José Antonio de Miguel; the acting Government Sub-delegate, Mª Asunción Machín; and the Head of the Civil Protection Unit, Carlos Miguel Martínez, covered the objectives and main activities planned for this second edition, underlining the importance of coordinated action among the institutions involved.

The programme will combine round tables, panel discussions, an exhibition area and networking activities bringing together representatives from Defence, universities, research centres and companies from the technology and defence sectors.

The Ministry of Defence will hold the 2nd Conference on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain on 22 and 23 September at the Palacio de la Audiencia in Soria. The event is organised by the State Secretariat for Defence through CESTIC, together with the public company Ingeniería de Sistemas para la Defensa de España (Isdefe).

The conference pursues four objectives: strengthening collaboration with national ICT companies; promoting national developments in responsible AI that reinforce technological sovereignty; encouraging the participation of universities, research centres and think tanks; and presenting NEXUS, the organisational model that gives continuity to the REAIM initiative.

The Soria event follows on from the first edition, held in Jaén in November 2025, and builds on the momentum generated by the 3rd REAIM Summit, held in A Coruña in February 2026.