The 2026 AI for Defense Summit will convene senior leaders and innovators from the Department of War, Intelligence Community, federal government, industry, and academia to examine how AI is being operationalized for national security.
For Defense Advancement readers, the summit will focus on AI-enabled defense capabilities, decision advantage, intelligence analysis, command and control, acquisition reform, and multi-domain warfighting requirements. The 5th annual event will highlight real-world applications that are moving AI from experimentation to deployment across defense and federal missions.
When is the Event?
The AI for Defense Summit is scheduled for September 2–3, 2026.
Themes
The summit will cover the integration and deployment of AI across the Department of War and federal government, including the recently released Department of War Artificial Intelligence Acceleration Strategy.
Key topics include AI for CJADC2, data management, commercial innovation, acquisition reform, joint and coalition interoperability, generative and agentic AI, AI-enabled command and control, cybersecurity, model validation and trust, workforce development, and resilient architectures for contested environments.
What’s On?
The 2026 agenda is coming soon. The summit will feature keynote sessions and panel discussions with senior-level speakers addressing AI, machine learning, autonomy, national security, and defense mission outcomes.
The program is designed to provide insight into how defense and government organizations are integrating AI into workflows and using it to support decision-making from the tactical edge to enterprise-level operations.
Speakers
Confirmed 2026 speakers include:
- Cameron Stanley, Chief Data and AI Officer, OUSW R&E
- Israel Soong, Deputy Director, Office of Artificial Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency
- Patrick Lincoln, PhD, Director, Information Innovation Office, DARPA
- Alexis Bonnell, Partnership Manager, OpenAI; Former CIO & Director of the Digital Capabilities Directorate, AFRL
- Kim Sablon, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, Riverside Research; Former Principal Director for Trusted AI & Autonomy, OUSW R&E
- Young Bang, Operating Executive, The Carlyle Group; Executive Vice President, Two Six Technologies; Former Principal Deputy, ASA(ALT)
- Nancy Morgan, CEO, Ellis Morgan Enterprises; Former Intelligence Community CDO, ODNI
- Mark Munsell, Executive Director, GeoSTL; Former Chief AI Officer, NGA
Ticket Information
The summit is open and complimentary to all DoD and Federal employees and is considered an educational and training forum.
Industry and academia members are charged a fee for admission.
Operating Guidance for Government Attendees
DSI states that the summit supports DoD and government mission priorities by providing a forum for speakers to reach audiences outside their respective offices at no charge to the government.
The summit is intended to address internal and external initiatives, support engagement with partner organizations, share capability requirements with industry, and increase visibility across the wider community.
Additional Information
The summit is closed to press and recordings are not permitted.
Where is the Event?
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Global Campus for Architecture & Design
1735 New York Ave NW
Washington, DC 20005
United States
To learn more about AI for Defense Summit 2026, to register to attend or exhibit, please click below .
