Dr Yasmin Afina is a Researcher for the Security and Technology Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), where her research covers the intersection between international security, international law and artificial intelligence. At UNIDIR, Yasmin holds the Institute’s cross-sectoral and cross-regional engagement portfolio on AI. She notably co-leads the Roundtable for AI, Security and Ethics (RAISE), UNIDIR’s flagship multistakeholder initiative on AI in defence & security in partnership with Microsoft. Yasmin id also passionate about identifying and platforming regional perspectives on AI in the military domain – a major part of her day-to-day work at the UN.

Additionally, Yasmin leads a number of projects, including on the application of international humanitarian law in the context of lethal autonomous weapons systems and the formulation of guidelines for the development of national strategies on AI in security and defence.

Yasmin holds a PhD in law from the University of Essex. Her doctoral research examined the main international humanitarian law considerations to frame the design and development of AI technologies in military targeting, ultimately aiming to foster compliance with international law and responsible innovation in this space.

In addition to AI, her past research interests and experiences covered nuclear weapons policy, outer space security, and wider international security and policy issues surrounding emerging technologies, including neurotechnology, quantum technologies, and cyber. She previously worked as Research Fellow at Chatham House, where she led the Institute’s work on AI policy, and notably testified in front of the UK House of Lords’ AI in Weapon Systems Select Committee. Yasmin has published over a dozen research papers, op-eds and commentaries on technology policy (including AI, cyber, and neurotechnology) and nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and her work has been cited by a number of media outlets, including the BBC, Politico, and Al Jazeera.

Yasmin holds a PhD from the University of Essex, an LLM from the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, an LL.B. from the University of Essex, as well as a French Bachelor of Laws and Postgraduate degree (Maîtrise) in International Law from the Université Toulouse I Capitole. Yasmin speaks fluent English, French and Indonesian. An avid traveller, skier and diver, Yasmin is always on the lookout for good food and milk tea.