6th Annual AI4SE & SE4AI Workshop to Introduce New Presentation Format
The sixth annual AI4SE & SE4AI Research and Application Workshop will be held on September 17-18, 2025. Organized by SERC and the U.S. Army DEVCOM Armaments Center and hosted by The George Washington University Trustworthy AI Initiative in Washington, DC, this year’s hybrid event will be organized around the theme of “Systems Engineering AI that Works: Assuring Transformative Capabilities and Enabling a Digital Transformation.”
SERC Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Tom McDermott noted the continued interest in and size of the workshop. “We continue to host this event with the Army, ensuring the latest developments in the rapidly changing fields of AI and systems engineering are discussed. We are planning our largest workshop ever with two keynotes, two panels, hands-on interactive sessions, and both live and virtual presentations.”
As in past years, the scheduled keynote speakers are leaders within entities positioned at the forefront of AI development and exploring the technology’s far-reaching impacts. As Head of Policy Operations at Open AI, Dr. Morgan Dwyer leads the development and coordination of the company’s public policy positions. Dr. Matthew Kuan Johnson serves as Chief of Responsible AI at U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and leads the team that supports the operationalization and implementation of Responsible AI and the DoD AI Ethical Principles.
New to this year’s call for abstract submissions was acceptance of proposals for in-person interactive sessions in addition to those for traditional presentation slots, which can be attended both in-person and virtually. The offering of interactive sessions introduces new formats to the workshop, such as tutorials or round-table discussions intended to co-create a product and further supports the high level of engagement and interest the workshop generates annually. This year’s abstract submissions total was 28% more than in 2024 and will guide the development of a robust and relevant agenda.
As noted by SERC Deputy CTO Dr. Valerie Sitterle, “This year’s submissions were truly outstanding. The range and creativity across the abstracts show how meaningfully the emerging capabilities of AI are being brought into SE practice as both an augmenter and a technological dimension of a system. We’re excited to see how well these presentations should resonate with our DoD stakeholders and spark new community collaborations.”
This year’s theme of “Systems Engineering AI that Works: Assuring Transformative Capabilities and Enabling a Digital Transformation” will explore how advances in Artificial Intelligence Enabled Systems (AIES) are driving future operational capabilities and efficiency and how to maximize these opportunities and address challenges. Systems engineering processes must be updated to ensure that when deployed, AIES will work as needed, in accordance with legal principles and does not introduce new sources of vulnerability. Presentations will explore topics including AI assistance in complex project management, conversational cognitive assistants, and critical aspects of safety, reliability, and ethical considerations in developing and deploying AI systems.
In six years, the workshop has grown in scope, size, and reach in parallel with the rapidly increasing role of AI across sectors and fields globally. First held in October 2020 as an online only two-day event, the inaugural workshop gathered members of the government, academic and industry communities to learn from leaders already using AI and focused on defining relevant SE and AI challenges, and identifying areas of exploration, methodologies to use, and ways in which to collaborate and research in the upcoming years. Themes highlighted in ensuing years have reflected evolving priorities including the importance of building trust in AI systems and increasing workability between humans and AI, and the consistent priority of developing a workforce prepared to address the ethical, technical, and societal challenges posed by AI.
“It’s been incredible to watch the AI4SE & SE4AI workshop grow into such a vibrant and core event for the SE and AI community,” stated SERC Chief Scientist and Research Council Chair Dr. Zoe Szajnfarber. “The topic is even more important than ever; this year we broke our previous record for most submitted abstracts to date. I look forward to another year of substantive discussion across government, industry and academic perspectives.”
Information about previous workshops can be found on the SERC website, as well as registration and agenda information for this year’s event.
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