Combat Stress and King’s College London explore the role of AI in Armed Forces sector

18 October 2024

Earlier this week, King’s College London in partnership with Combat Stress hosted an event exploring the opportunities for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Armed Forces charitable sector.

According to a survey conducted by King’s ahead of the event, there is fear around the use of AI within the Armed Forces charitable sector. This means there could be missed opportunities to use AI to improve charity functions such as resource allocation, service delivery and engagement with clients.

During the event, funded by the Forces in Mind Trust, the 40 academics, charity leaders, industry members and civil servants discussed how charities within the Armed Forces sector could make use of AI, what barriers exist for the use of AI, and what policies should be in place for its use within the sector.

Topics also included the capabilities of AI and its present limitations; how AI is being adopted within charities and the barriers many still face including a lack of skills and concerns over data privacy, GDPR and ethical considerations; the potential applications of AI in mental health and defence; and the need for more collaboration within the sector to understand the opportunities AI can have to improve services for clients.

Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said:

“Understanding the opportunities AI can offer and the risks that need to be managed is key for those working with and supporting the Armed Forces community. It was great to support an event starting the conversation between senior leaders to explore these issues and discuss how we can most effectively utilise and manage AI to support our community.”

To read more about the event visit King's College London.