AI and the Agnogenic Test Engineer
With more than four decades of defence engineering experience, including regulatory software assurance for platforms such as the F-35 Lightning II and contributions to MOD policy development, including JSP 936, Dependable Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Defence Applications, Dstl Principal Advisor for Autonomy and AI Safety Engineering Dr Alec Banks examines a critical dimension of testing in the age of AI.
As AI increasingly participates across the engineering lifecycle, including development, testing, orchestration, and decision support, new assurance challenges emerge that extend beyond traditional software safety concerns. Building on the concept of agnogenesis, this presentation explores how testing activities can inadvertently reduce understanding while increasing confidence.
Drawing on Defence Standard 00-055 and the principle of preserving safety intent throughout system decomposition as a practical example, Alec argues that effective assurance requires more than the generation of evidence alone. Through approaches such as intent mapping, data assurance, scenario-based testing, and operational monitoring, the keynote will show why test engineers must focus on improving understanding, not simply increasing test coverage or accumulating compliance evidence.
Speaker
Alec Banks
Senior Principal Scientist, Dstl
Alec works as a Principal Advisor for Autonomous Systems and AI Safety Engineering at the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). In 2026 he is celebrating working in defence engineering for 40 years including serving 23 years in the Royal Air Force and 17 years at Dstl. This latter role has focused on the safety of software systems, including working as a software regulator for the UKs air platforms. In his regulatory capacity he has provided software certification assurance for platforms such as Scan Eagle, Watchkeeper and F-35 Lightning II. Recent research activity has focused on the verification and validation of autonomous systems where Alec is the MOD technical lead.
He is lead technical author of JSP 936 “Dependable Artificial Intelligence in Defence” the MOD policy for responsible AI and has co-authored the current versions of Defence Standard 00-056 “Safety Management Requirements for Defence Systems” and Defence Standard 00-055 “Requirements for Safety of Programmable Elements (PE) in Defence Systems”.
Alongside a BSc (Hons) in Computing and MSc in Advanced Computing, his PhD (awarded 2009) centred around natural search strategies for autonomous vehicles.
Alec also works extensively within the UK and International software and safety communities - academic and industrial. Alec is a Chartered Engineer and is a Fellow of the IET.
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