The 2nd Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Conference concluded at the Palacio de la Audiencia in Soria with a central proposal: moving the technology beyond theoretical debate toward applications that provide an operational advantage to the Armed Forces.
The two-day event drew more than 630 registered participants from 212 organizations, the Ministry of Defense reported on September 23, 2026. Attendees included representatives of the Armed Forces, public institutions, companies, universities, research centers, and think tanks involved in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
The final presentations and panel discussions addressed AI governance, technological sovereignty, and regulation in Spain. The closing session was led by Lt. Gen. José María Millán Martínez, director of the Center for Information and Communications Systems and Technologies.
Collaboration with companies and universities
The conclusions outlined three areas of work: maintaining a permanent channel of dialogue with domestic companies in the information and communications technology sector; promoting homegrown responsible AI developments that safeguard technological sovereignty; and bringing universities, Spanish specialists, and strategic think tanks into the discussion.
The conference was organized by the Secretariat of State for Defense and the state-owned company Ingeniería de Sistemas para la Defensa de España. The Ministry of Defense identified cooperation among the military, industry, and academia as one of the key drivers for advancing the development and responsible deployment of artificial intelligence within the Armed Forces.
