Building on the momentum of previous digital transformation initiatives, the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) hosted the AI in Professional Military Education (PME) Workshop from 12–13 February. The event brought together 32 participants representing 20 different nations, creating a diverse international forum to tackle the integration of artificial intelligence into the training of future military leaders.
The workshop was opened with the welcome remarks by COL Jonathan Huxley, Deputy Commandant/ Chief of Staff of BALTDEFCOL. In his address, COL Huxley set a collaborative tone for the two-day event, emphasising that the gathering was not merely a showcase of institutional success. Instead, he highlighted a shared reality: although participants represented a wide array of international institutions, they are largely confronting the same obstacles and issues in the face of rapid technological shifts.
"The approach is to use this method of collaboration to exchange best practices and swap ideas," COL Huxley noted, urging attendees to look past individual institutional silos. He further challenged the participants to ensure that the practical output of the workshop focused on "how to move things forward" in a tangible way.
Bridging the Gaps: Policy, Implementation, and Leadership
The workshop was structured around four critical "gaps" currently facing the PME community:
The workshop was opened with the welcome remarks by COL Jonathan Huxley, Deputy Commandant/ Chief of Staff of BALTDEFCOL. In his address, COL Huxley set a collaborative tone for the two-day event, emphasising that the gathering was not merely a showcase of institutional success. Instead, he highlighted a shared reality: although participants represented a wide array of international institutions, they are largely confronting the same obstacles and issues in the face of rapid technological shifts.
"The approach is to use this method of collaboration to exchange best practices and swap ideas," COL Huxley noted, urging attendees to look past individual institutional silos. He further challenged the participants to ensure that the practical output of the workshop focused on "how to move things forward" in a tangible way.
Bridging the Gaps: Policy, Implementation, and Leadership
The workshop was structured around four critical "gaps" currently facing the PME community:
- Policy Gap: Session 1 focused on national strategies and institutional alignment. Speakers from the Ministries of Defence of Latvia and Estonia, along with representatives from SHAPE and various military academies, discussed how to harmonise national AI strategies with NATO alignment.
- Implementation & Trust Gaps: Session 2 explored technical case studies, featuring insights from organisations like "Women in Defence" and specialists in technical AI applications.
- Skills Gap: Day 1 concluded with a focus on leadership development for AI-enabled operations. Representatives from the UK Defence Leadership Centre and the Digital Services Group (Canada) discussed digital competency frameworks and the necessity of "AI Leadership" in modern defence.
- Resource Gap: On the second day, the "Regional Network: Way Ahead" session explored partnership models and the outcomes of concurrent regional AI conferences to identify collaborative resource-sharing strategies.
A Path Toward Collaboration
The workshop concluded with synthesis sessions and working groups dedicated to curriculum integration proposals and the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure AI and digital transformation success.
By focusing on shared challenges rather than individual achievements, the 2026 AI in PME Workshop reaffirmed BALTDEFCOL’s role as a central hub for regional and international military cooperation. The event successfully transitioned from theoretical discussion to a practical roadmap, providing attendees with the ideas and partnerships necessary to advance AI integration in their respective home institutions.
The workshop concluded with synthesis sessions and working groups dedicated to curriculum integration proposals and the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure AI and digital transformation success.
By focusing on shared challenges rather than individual achievements, the 2026 AI in PME Workshop reaffirmed BALTDEFCOL’s role as a central hub for regional and international military cooperation. The event successfully transitioned from theoretical discussion to a practical roadmap, providing attendees with the ideas and partnerships necessary to advance AI integration in their respective home institutions.
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