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Laura Bruun
Researcher
Laura Bruun
Laura Bruun is a Researcher in the SIPRI Governance of Artificial Intelligence Programme. Laura’s research focuses on the humanitarian and legal implications of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military domain, including autonomous weapon systems and AI-enabled decision support systems. As such, Laura’s expertise covers issues related to compliance with international humanitarian law, accountability, bias, and governance frameworks.
Laura has a background in Middle Eastern Studies (University of Copenhagen) and International Security and Law (University of Southern Denmark). Before joining SIPRI, Laura worked at Airwars in London, where she monitored and assessed civilian casualty reports from US and Russian airstrikes in Syria and Iraq.
Subject expertise
International Humanitarian Law, autonomous weapon systems, military AI, remote warfare, gender and disarmament, and international security
Regional expertise
Global
CONTACT Laura Bruun
Languages
Danish, English, Arabic
Education
BA Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Copenhagen; MA International Security and Law, University of Southern Denmark
SIPRI COMMENTARY
- Dilemmas in the policy debate on autonomous weapon systems (Topical backgrounder, )
SIPRI AND PARTNER PUBLICATIONS
- Bias in Military Artificial Intelligence and Compliance with International Humanitarian Law (SIPRI, Stockholm: August 2025)
- Autonomous Weapon Systems and AI-enabled Decision Support Systems in Military Targeting: A Comparison and Recommended Policy Responses (SIPRI, Stockholm: June 2025)
- Towards a Two-tiered Approach to Regulation of Autonomous Weapon Systems: Identifying Pathways and Possible Elements (SIPRI, Stockholm: August 2024)
- Bias in Military Artificial Intelligence (SIPRI, Stockholm: December 2024)
- Integrating Gender Perspectives into International Humanitarian Law (SIPRI, Stockholm : August 2023)
- Compliance with International Humanitarian Law in the Development and Use of Autonomous Weapon Systems: What does IHL Permit, Prohibit and Require? (SIPRI, Stockholm : March 2023)
- Retaining Human Responsibility in the Development and Use of Autonomous Weapon Systems: On Accountability for Violations of International Humanitarian Law Involving AWS (SIPRI, Stockholm: October 2022)
- Autonomous Weapon Systems and International Humanitarian Law: Identifying Limits and the Required Type and Degree of Human–Machine Interaction (SIPRI, Stockholm: June 2021)
- Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence: Can the European Union Lead the Way in Developing Best Practice? (SIPRI, Stockholm: November 2020)
External publications
- Bruun, L. and Bo, M., ‘Constant care’ must be taken to address bias in military AI, International Committee of the Red Cross Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog (28 Aug 2025)
- Bruun, L., ‘Reinventing the wheel? Three lessons that the AWS debate can learn from existing arms control agreements’, International Committee of the Red Cross Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog (Jun 2024)
- Bruun, L., ’’It was an Accident’: Implications of AI on the Ability to Distinguish Between ‘True’ Accidents and Violations of International Humanitarian Law’, ORF-Global Policy journal (Feb 2024)
- Bruun, L., 'Investigating (Mis)conduct in War is Already Difficult: Will the use of Military AI Make it Harder?', Just Security (Jan 2023)
- Bruun, L., ’Lethal autonomous weapon systems: understanding the human role throughout the weapon lifecycle’, Wilton Park (March 2022)
- Bruun, L., 'Autonomous weapon systems: what the law says - and does not say - about the human role in the use of force’, blog post, Humanitarian Law and Policy, ICRC (Nov 2021)