A four-part Articles of War series published by the Lieber Institute at West Point revisits discussions from the 18th International Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon), held in Tallinn in May 2026 under the theme “Securing Tomorrow.”
Drawing on CyCon panels, presentations and exchanges, the series examines how artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities and other emerging technologies are reshaping military operations and the practical application of international humanitarian law.
- Maria Tolppa introduces the series in “New Technologies, Armed Conflict, and International Humanitarian Law”, outlining its central themes, including the increasing integration of AI into military decision-making and the need to incorporate legal considerations throughout the lifecycle of new capabilities.
- Dr Anke Allenhöfer examines defence procurement as a tool for governing responsible military AI in “Governing Responsible Military AI Through Defense Procurement”, including the role of legal reviews, contracts, testing and continuing oversight.
- Drawing on Ukraine’s experience, Colonel Inna Zavorotko considers the application of international humanitarian law to cyber operations in the multidomain battlespace in “Cyber Operations in the Multidomain Battlespace: A Legal View from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine”, highlighting the importance of legal advisers, training and institutional preparedness.
- Professor Rain Liivoja concludes the series in “CyCon Comes of (AI) Age”, reflecting on the wider relationship between AI, cyber operations and international humanitarian law, including ongoing debates over cyber operations as attacks and the development of a digital emblem for protected medical infrastructure.
NATO CCDCOE thanks the Articles of War team for hosting the series and the authors for developing the discussions initiated at CyCon 2026 into these timely contributions.