About this Event
The war in Ukraine is also a technological war. Drones, AI, robotics and autonomous systems are transforming the battlefield at remarkable speed. Ukraine is developing and testing these technologies in an unprecedented feedback loop between the front line and developers. Today’s technological breakthrough may be obsolete tomorrow.
Journalist and publicist Joris Luyendijk is campaigning for Ukraine and for a stronger European defence. His conviction: Ukraine is not only fighting for itself, but also for the security and democratic future of Europe. The question is therefore not only whether we should support Ukraine, but above all: what should we do now? That question goes straight to the heart of TU Delft. As a university of technology, we are not on the sidelines. Technology can shape how future wars are fought. This brings a moral responsibility: if our knowledge can help a democracy defend itself, do we have a duty to put that knowledge to work?
At the same time, TU Delft must safeguard its academic independence: the freedom to ask critical questions and examine the consequences of technology. How far can we go in working with the military without compromising that independence? And where does the technology we develop ultimately end up?
Technological autonomy is another part of the equation. Ukraine has become a testing ground for companies such as the US-based Palantir, which deploy AI and data for military applications. What role should Europe play in developing these technologies?
With Joris Luyendijk, we will explore this tension. What can technology do, what should we develop, and what should we limit? And how can we ensure that Europe remains both safe and technologically autonomous?
Joris Luyendijk
Joris Luyendijk is a journalist, anthropologist and author, best known for his work as a Middle East correspondent and for his writing on journalism, the financial sector and social inequality. He is the author of Het zijn net mensen, Dit kan niet waar zijn and De zeven vinkjes, and has also presented the Dutch television programme Zomergasten.
Michelle Jagtenberg
Michelle Jagtenberg is a Member of the Dutch House of Representatives. Previously, she was an engineer at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and a member of D66's standing program committee.
Olya Kudina
Olya is an interdisciplinary researcher in philosophy/ethics of technology who explores the relation between human values and technologies. Her recent focus has been on AI and democracy in the framework of the AI DeMoS Lab that she founded and co-leads. To anticipate the ethical challenges and opportunities of technologies, Olya thinks it is essential to combine different academic practices and fields.
Sander Otte
Sander Otte is Professor of Atomic Quantum Technology at TU Delft. After earning his PhD in physics (Leiden, 2008), he spent several years conducting research in the US and started his own research group in Delft in 2010. His group's work has been published in international scientific journals such as Science and Nature Physics. Otte has received, among other things, a VICI grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).
Nicholas Johnston
Nicholas Johnston is a PhD candidate researching the ethics and epistemic conditions of intelligence analysts and institutions, particularly in a military context, against the backdrop of increasing automation.
Event venue & nearby stays
Delft University of Technology Auditorium Conference Center, 5 Mekelweg, Delft, Netherlands
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