Design methodologies for addressing Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) of military AI applications

DELIVERABLE 2.1

This report, the first deliverable of WP2 (D2.1) within the ELSA Lab Defence project, outlines a framework for addressing ethical, legal, and societal aspects (ELSA) in military AI applications. Using a three-step approach, it develops case studies to identify diverse ELSA challenges in cognitive warfare, autonomous non-lethal robots, and military decision-support systems, assesses nine key values affected by AI (e.g., dignity, responsibility, privacy, and security), and reviews five design methodologies grounded in value-sensitive design (e.g., privacy by design, meaningful human control, and participatory design). The report aims to adapt these methodologies for military AI, ensuring responsible deployment by integrating ELSA considerations throughout the system lifecycle.