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Drone Warfare: The New Rules of Combat Are Here

War has always been shaped by technology—from steel and gunpowder to GPS and nuclear weapons. But the decisive technologies of tomorrow aren’t coming—they’re already here. In this episode, recorded live at our third annual American Dynamism Summit, a16z’s Senior National Security Advisor Matt Cronin sits down with Ryan Tseng (cofounder & CEO, Shield AI) and Adam Bry (cofounder & CEO, Skydio) to discuss the rise of autonomous drones, AI-driven warfare, and the escalating great power competition with China. They cover: Why drones are reshaping the battlefield in Ukraine, Israel, and beyond The asymmetry of $1,000 drones taking out $10M tanks Why U.S. drone production lags China—and how to catch up The ethical and tactical implications of autonomy in combat What it will take to reindustrialize America and maintain deterrence If the future of warfare is software-defined, who writes that software—and who deploys it first—matters more than ever. Timecodes: 00:00: Introduction 00:45: Founders' Journey into Drone Technology 05:53: The Evolution and Impact of Drones in Warfare 09:30: Challenges and Opportunities in Drone Manufacturing 17:10: Policy Recommendations for Enhancing Military Capabilities 21:40: Swarm Technologies and AI Superiority 26:14: Challenges in Battlefield Operations 32:49: The Role of Autonomy in Modern Warfare 40:01: Future Scenarios of AI and Tech Dominance 41:41: Advice for Aspiring Defense Tech Founders Resources: Find Adam on X: https://x.com/adampbry Find Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantseng/ Find Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cronin-8b88811/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Ryan TsengguestAdam BryguestMatt Croninhost

Apr 11, 202543mWatch on YouTube ↗

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EPISODE INFO

Released: April 11, 2025
Duration: 43m
Channel: a16z
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

War has always been shaped by technology—from steel and gunpowder to GPS and nuclear weapons. But the decisive technologies of tomorrow aren’t coming—they’re already here. In this episode, recorded live at our third annual American Dynamism Summit, a16z’s Senior National Security Advisor Matt Cronin sits down with Ryan Tseng (cofounder & CEO, Shield AI) and Adam Bry (cofounder & CEO, Skydio) to discuss the rise of autonomous drones, AI-driven warfare, and the escalating great power competition with China. They cover: Why drones are reshaping the battlefield in Ukraine, Israel, and beyond The asymmetry of $1,000 drones taking out $10M tanks Why U.S. drone production lags China—and how to catch up The ethical and tactical implications of autonomy in combat What it will take to reindustrialize America and maintain deterrence If the future of warfare is software-defined, who writes that software—and who deploys it first—matters more than ever. Timecodes: 00:00: Introduction 00:45: Founders' Journey into Drone Technology 05:53: The Evolution and Impact of Drones in Warfare 09:30: Challenges and Opportunities in Drone Manufacturing 17:10: Policy Recommendations for Enhancing Military Capabilities 21:40: Swarm Technologies and AI Superiority 26:14: Challenges in Battlefield Operations 32:49: The Role of Autonomy in Modern Warfare 40:01: Future Scenarios of AI and Tech Dominance 41:41: Advice for Aspiring Defense Tech Founders Resources: Find Adam on X: https://x.com/adampbry Find Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantseng/ Find Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cronin-8b88811/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

SPEAKERS

Ryan Tseng
guest
Defense tech executive (Shield AI) focused on autonomous systems and drone warfare.
Adam Bry
guest
Co-founder and CEO of Skydio, specializing in autonomous drone technology and computer vision.
Matt Cronin
host
a16z host/interviewer covering defense technology and national security innovation.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Ryan Tseng and Adam Bry, Drone Warfare: The New Rules of Combat Are Here explores drone Founders Argue Autonomy, Scale, and Software Speed Decide Future War Ryan Tseng and Adam Bry describe how they entered defense drones, with Tseng motivated by mission and his Navy SEAL brother and Bry by a lifelong interest in autonomous flight and a wish to avoid traditional defense contractors.

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