Call for Papers: “Protection of Civilians and International Humanitarian Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, Deadline for submission of abstracts: 1 September 2026

Call for Papers: “Protection of Civilians and International Humanitarian Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, Deadline for submission of abstracts: 1 September 2026

Deadline for submission of abstracts: 1 September 2026

Decision whether abstract has been selected: 15 October 2026

Deadline for submission of full papers: 15 April 2027

This call for papers is also available as a PDF.

The International Review of the Red Cross invites[1] proposals for a thematic edition examining the implications of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to armed conflict for the protection of civilians and for international humanitarian law (IHL).[2] We invite abstracts focusing on the following topics:

1. Use of AI in armed conflict by humanitarian organisations

• What are the opportunities, limits and risks of using AI for anticipatory and humanitarian action, such as needs assessment, resource allocation, early warning, negotiation strategies, protection analysis and activities?
• When principled humanitarian organisations consider using AI, how can they ensure that their activities remain aligned with the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, as well as with the “do no harm” approach?
• How can technology and humanitarian communities learn from each other, for example when it comes to the principles guiding their respective domains of activity?

2. Use of AI by armed actors to support compliance with IHL

• Can AI be designed, trained and deployed in ways that support compliance by armed actors with the core IHL obligations of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack?
• What legal and operational safeguards are required to address risks related to data quality, bias, system unpredictability and accountability when AI is used in the conduct of hostilities?
• Can protection risks arising from the collection, labelling and operational use of civilian data in AI-enabled military systems be mitigated?
• Can protection risks arising from the use of generative AI, synthetic media and algorithmically amplified information operations during armed conflict be mitigated?
• Outside the realm of the conduct of hostilities, can AI be used in ways that support compliance with IHL?

3. Use of AI for IHL research and analysis

• Can the use of AI for IHL research and analysis ensure methodological rigour and transparency, mitigate bias and accurately reflect the diversity of legal interpretations and sources in IHL?
• How can outputs generated by AI, such as large language models, support compliance with IHL?
• What are the opportunities, limits and risks in using IHL interpretation or compliance assessments generated by AI for real-life decision-making?

4. Governance of AI used in armed conflict

• Beyond IHL, which legal, policy and ethical frameworks/principles apply to the use of AI in armed conflict, and what is their interplay with IHL?
• What roles and responsibilities do private technology companies and transnational digital infrastructures play in the development and governance of AI used in armed conflict?
• Looking ahead, which forms of governance could be developed to ensure that AI strengthens the protection of persons affected by armed conflict?

SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL

We invite anyone interested to submit a proposal by 1 September 2026. The proposal should consist of an abstract (maximum 700 words) and a short biography. You will be notified about the status of your proposal by 15 October 2026. If you are invited to submit a full-length article, a draft of your completed article will be due no later than 15 April 2027. All articles that meet initial screening criteria will undergo a double-blind peer review process.

If you are invited to submit a paper based on your proposal, the target length should be between 8,000 and 10,000 words, including footnotes, although we are open to longer pieces.

Our selection will prioritise innovative proposals that have clear potential to contribute to and advance legal and policy debates on this topic in the years ahead. For this Call for Papers in particular, the International Review of the Red Cross strongly encourages multidisciplinary teams of authors. We also encourage empirical research on AI systems developed in different regions of the world.

In line with our ongoing commitment to provide space for diverse voices, we encourage submissions by established and emerging voices alike. Proposals can be co-authored, and may also be submitted in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Russian.

In your 700-word abstract, please include:

1. Proposed title;
2. Main arguments you intend to develop;
3. Explanation of how your topic can strengthen the protection of persons affected by armed conflict.

Applicants are strongly discouraged from using generative AI tools to draft their abstracts or articles. Undisclosed use of AI may lead to the immediate and permanent disqualification of your proposal.

Please send your abstract and bio as a single Word document to review@icrc.org and include “Protection and IHL in the Age of AI” in the email’s subject line.

For more details, refer here