UNIDIR’s Women in AI Fellowship brought together 33 women diplomats from 32 countries and one regional organization for a week-long training programme at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 8 to 12 June. The fellowship aimed to strengthen women’s participation in shaping global discussions on artificial intelligence, particularly in areas linked to international peace, security, disarmament, and emerging technologies.
The 2026 programme provided fellows with a strong foundation in the technical, legal, governance, and ethical dimensions of AI. Participants explored how artificial intelligence is being used and regulated, with special attention to its implications for military systems, international humanitarian law, human rights, cybersecurity, gender equality, responsible innovation, and multilateral governance.
The fellowship included expert-led lectures, interactive sessions, tabletop exercises, strategic foresight activities, and discussions with specialists from government, academia, international organizations, industry, the military, and diplomacy. Fellows examined the technological foundations of AI, the risks of bias, the challenges of military AI, and the role of international cooperation in developing responsible and inclusive governance frameworks.
A major focus of the training was the governance of military AI and its place within the broader international defence and security architecture. Participants considered how AI intersects with international humanitarian law, human rights, ethical standards, gender perspectives, and regional policy priorities. The programme also addressed the growing importance of the AI-cybersecurity nexus and the need for confidence-building measures around military AI.
UNIDIR Director Robin Geiss emphasized that the Institute is actively working to strengthen knowledge and dialogue on military AI governance. The fellowship reflects UNIDIR’s commitment to ensuring that women are meaningfully represented in conversations that will shape the future of AI governance, peace, and security.
The programme also introduced fellows to UNIDIR’s wider AI-related work, including the upcoming Global Conference on AI, Security and Ethics, the AI Policy Portal, research on the cyber-AI nexus, military AI governance processes, confidence-building around military AI, and the intersection of gender and artificial intelligence. These resources helped participants connect policy discussions with ongoing research and practical tools.
Beyond formal training sessions, fellows took part in a documentary screening and discussion, structured mini-lateral exchanges, and networking activities with previous Women in AI Fellows and Geneva-based diplomats. The final day included a visit to the CERN Science Gateway, where participants learned about emerging technologies and saw how international scientific cooperation can support innovation and shared knowledge.
Participants responded positively to the fellowship, highlighting the importance of inclusive, informed, and human-centred AI governance. They stressed the need to integrate human rights and gender perspectives into AI policy, strengthen links between technical and policy communities, and continue building capacity for diplomats and decision-makers working on emerging technologies.
The fellowship comes at a time when AI is becoming a major issue in disarmament, international security, and global governance. Interest in the programme has grown rapidly, with the 2026 edition receiving more than 200 applications from 100 countries, making it the most diverse application pool so far.
UNIDIR plans to build on this momentum by expanding its capacity-building work and exploring opportunities to deliver the Women in AI Fellowship in additional regional contexts. The initiative reflects a broader push to ensure that future AI governance is not only technically informed but also representative, inclusive, ethical, and responsive to global peace and security challenges.
