From April 7–9, 2026, the Research Institute for Tactical Autonomy (RITA) hosted its first symposium as part of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Spring Symposium Series in Burlingame, California. The three-day event, titled Advances in AI-Enabled Tactical Autonomy: From Sensing to Execution, organized by Sr. Researcher, Dr. Atul Rawal (RITA) and Dr. Simon Khan (AFRL) convened researchers, engineers, and practitioners from academia, government, and industry to explore how emerging AI technologies are shaping autonomous systems in real-world environments.
The symposium featured a dynamic program of paper presentations, panel discussions, and keynote briefings, bringing together RITA researchers alongside leaders from the defense, technology, and broader research communities. Discussions spanned critical areas including perception and sensing, decision-making under uncertainty, human-machine teaming, and the integration of AI systems into operational environments.
A central theme throughout the symposium was bridging the gap between theoretical innovation and field-deployable autonomy. By fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration, the event created space to identify shared challenges, exchange best practices, and advance a collective vision for resilient, explainable, and trustworthy autonomous systems.
As RITA’s inaugural AAAI symposium, the event marked an important milestone in establishing a sustained research community around tactical autonomy and strengthening partnerships across the autonomy and defense ecosystems.
