A Method in Ethical AI in Defence stems from a workshop that was held in Canberra from 30 July to 1 August 2019 with 104 people from 45 organisations in attendance, including representatives from Defence, other Australian government agencies, Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS), civil society, universities, and Defence industry. The workshop elicited evidence-based hypotheses regarding ethical AI from a diverse range of perspectives and contexts and produce pragmatic methods to manage ethical risks on AI projects in Defence.

Discussion at the workshop produced five facets for ethical AI in Defence:

• Responsibility – who is responsible for AI?
• Governance – how is AI controlled?
• Trust – how can AI be trusted?
• Law – how can AI be used lawfully?
• Traceability – How are the actions of AI recorded?

A further outcome of the workshop was the development of a practical methodology that could support AI project managers and teams to manage ethical risks. This methodology includes three tools: an Ethical AI for Defence Checklist, Ethical AI Risk Matrix and a Legal and Ethical Assurance Program Plan (LEAPP).

While the method does not represent the views of the Australian Government, it provides an evidence-based collaborative framework relevant to Australian Defence contexts of use and ethical and legal considerations aligned with international best practice.

These 10 videos (5 x animations + 5 x explorations) provide both an overview and an in depth exploration of A Method for Ethical AI in Defence and can be used within professional military education (PME) and by external stakeholders of Defence, including academia.