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On September 27-28, the Global and National Security Institute (GNSI) at the University of South Florida (USF) hosted GNSI Tampa Summit 2 featuring the 8th Great Power Competition Conference (GPC8). These ongoing GPC conferences bring together some of the best and brightest strategic thinkers, leaders, subject matter experts from around the globe to provide military and civilian policymakers and thought leaders, a broader understanding of the various challenges facing the United States and the modern great power competition. 

GNSI Tampa Summit 2 focused on focus the increased use and ethical considerations surrounding uncrewed and autonomous systems, including prominent keynote speakers, dynamic panels, round table discussions, and four breakout sessions. 


The conference host, Dr. Adib Farhadi, Associate Professor and Faculty Director of Executive Education at USF, welcomed a large audience in the Marshall Center’s Oval Theater and virtual attendees.  
 
Dr. Eric Eisenberg, Senior Vice President of University-Community Partnerships at USF, kicked off the day's event with a warm welcome to the ×îÐÂÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ and the summit event, emphasizing the need to provide a platform for crucial conversations between academia, students, and military commands. Dr. Eisenberg also highlighted the importance of historical understanding while stressing the need for adaptability in the face of new solutions and challenges.

 Following the welcoming remarks, , Executive Director of GNSI and former Commander of U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), delivered an insightful speech on the evolving nature of warfare and the challenges facing the United States and its allies.  

Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications were highlighted as critical tools for decision-making in data-intensive environments.

Following McKenzie's remarks, the Summit's first keynote speaker took the stage. , the Deputy Commander of USCENTCOM, emphasized the historical progression of the autonomous and uncrewed systems, highlighting their integration and improved control over time. 

The morning session for Day 1 concluded with the Summit's first discussion panel: Foreign Defense Partnerships in a Global Competitive Market. Full panel discussion here.

• Associate Professor, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Security Studies
• , Director, Office of Regional Security and Arms Transfers, U.S. State Department
• Dr. Steven Roach, Professor of International Relations, USF
• Civilian Deputy J5, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
• , Croatian Navy, currently assigned to USCENTCOM

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The afternoon session began with engaging remarks from Executive Director, Center on Law, Ethics and National Security, Duke University. He's also the former Deputy Judge Advocate General for the United States Air Force. During his remarks, Dunlap highlighted key concerns regarding the Civilian Harm Mitigation Response Action Plan. He expressed reservations about how the plan might impede military effectiveness, especially concerning drone technology.

Major General Dunlap stressed the importance of examining the plan's impact, given advancements in AI and information operations, and called for input from warfighters in addressing these challenges.

The afternoon session concluded with a Summit Roundtable focused on The Ethical Use of Uncrewed Warfare. 

• Director, Special Operations, U.S. Army War College
• Acquisition and Technology Policy Program; Senior Political Scientist, RAND Corporation
• Legal Advisor, International Committee Red Cross Regional Delegation (United States and Canada)
• Assistant Profesor of Ethics, USAF Air War College

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Day 2 of Tampa Summit 2 began with Dr. Adib Farhadi, Conference Host, welcoming attendees and speakers to the event.
 
Following Dr. Farhadi's introduction, Academic Dean, Near East and South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, provided opening remarks for the day.

The first keynote speaker of the day took the stage immediately after Kangas. Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),  emphasized DARPA's role in staying at the forefront of technology to prevent future surprises and its commitment to addressing ethical, legal, and societal implications in emerging technologies. 

Tompkins also relayed the origin story of DARPA: the agency was formed after the U.S. was shocked by the launching of the Sputnik satellite (the first artificial Earth satellite) by the Soviet Union in 1957. DARPA was created as a commitment by the U.S. government to be the initiator, not the victim, of strategic technological surprises.  

The morning session concluded with a panel discussion: Future of Uncrewed Systems, The Benefits and Dangers of Advancing Technology.

• Director, Resilient, Autonomous, Networked Control Systems (RANCS) Research Group, Assistant Professor, USF
• Executive Director, FAA's Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE)
• Senior Fellow, Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET)
• Adjunct Senior Fellow, Defense Program, Center for New American Security (CNAS)

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, Combined Forces Air Component Commander United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), opened the afternoon session with an engaging keynote address emphasizing the crucial role of autonomy in Air Forces Central operations. 

Grynkewich also spoke at length about the urgency of keeping pace with adversaries who are rapidly developing AI-driven systems.

GNSI Tampa Summit 2 featured four breakout sessions, which were available for in-person attendees only: 
Breakout Session #1: AI Ethics in Lethal Autonomy
Breakout Session #2: Future of Uncrewed Systems
Breakout Session #3: Industry Use and Advancement of UAVs
Breakout Session #4: Security of Autonomous Systems

Following the breakouts, each of the moderators took the stage to recap their sessions. You can see those recaps by clicking the session recaps above.

General (Ret) Frank McKenzie closed the conference, expressing gratitude to the attendees and speakers for their participation in the GSNI Tampa Summit 2, and encouraging them to stay tuned for upcoming events. 

SAVE THE DATES: GNSI Tampa Summit 3 will be held on March 5-7, 2024. Artificial Intelligence in the Era of Strategic Competition.

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