IISL publishes Report of IISL Working Group on Legal Aspects of AI in Space

More recent developments of a widespread use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are affecting many areas of human life on Earth, as well as human activities in outer space.

In April 2024, the Board of Directors of IISL agreed to form a new ‘Working Group on on Legal Aspects of AI in Space’.

The primary aims and objectives of the IISL AI Working Group were to:

1. Examine the current landscape of AI technologies in space activities, including their applications in space traffic management, satellite operations, communications, robotics, and data analytics.
2. Analyze the legal frameworks relevant to AI in space, drawing parallels from the Outer Space Treaty and the Liability Convention to understand where AI fits within these scenarios.
3. Investigate the regulatory aspects of AI, emphasizing export control procurement issues and telecommunications laws that impact the transfer and use of AI technologies in space.
4. Address the ethical concerns related to AI through case studies and propose guidelines for ethical AI deployment in space.
5. Explore the role of AI in environmental protection in space, including autonomous monitoring, collision prediction, and space debris removal.
6. Develop recommendations for international cooperation and robust frameworks based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to govern the ethical and responsible use of AI in space.

The Working Group had eight members and was initiated and led by IISL member, Tuana Yazici. The members included:  Anne-Sophie Martin, Steven Wood, Lisa Kucher, Roser Almenar, Laura Yvonne Zielinski, Stefan-Michael Wedenig, and Giovanni Tricco.

The Working Group completed a comprehensive draft in October 2024 and presented its preliminary findings during the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, Italy. Following this presentation, the Working Group also presented the draft to the IISL Board during their meeting in Milan, where the Board provided constructive comments and suggestions. The study was finalized in December 2024.

The final report of the IISL Working Group on on Legal Aspects of AI in Space, titled “Balancing Innovation and Responsibility: International Recommendations for AI Regulation in Space”, can be found here: