Shield AI Founder on Drones, Ukraine, and the Ethics of Autonomous Warfare
A High-Stakes Mission in Kyiv
Two months ago, Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng—a former Navy SEAL—found himself in an Uber navigating Kyiv’s streets during a Russian missile alert. His reaction? A calm shrug. “If it’s your time to go, then it’s your time to go,” he remarked. For Tseng, danger is part of the job. His team has operated in even riskier zones across Ukraine, training troops on Shield AI’s autonomous drone systems.
The SEAL Mentality: Building a Defense Tech Powerhouse
Founded in 2015 by Tseng and his brother Ryan, an award-winning electrical engineer, Shield AI has a bold mission: to create the world’s best AI pilot. With over $1 billion in funding from investors like Riot Ventures, the company develops autonomous systems for air, sea, and land operations. Their flagship product, the V-BAT drone, has already secured a $198 million contract with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Key Achievements:
- $1B+ raised from top-tier investors
- $198M Coast Guard contract for V-BAT drones
- AI autonomy for air, surface, and underwater systems
Ukraine: The Ultimate Testing Ground
Ukraine has become a proving ground for U.S. defense tech. At a recent congressional hearing—the first outside D.C. since 2006—Tseng emphasized the country’s role as a “laboratory” for battlefield innovation. While many U.S. drones have struggled against Russian electronic warfare, Shield AI’s systems reportedly excel by operating without GPS dependency.
“Ukraine is at war, and people are being killed. The U.S. shouldn’t have to relearn these lessons,” Tseng noted.
The Ethical Dilemma: Autonomous Weapons and AI
As military AI spending surges (\(4.6B in 2023 vs. \)335M in 2022), ethical debates intensify. While some founders advocate for fully autonomous weapons, Tseng draws a hard line:
- Human decision-making is non-negotiable for lethal force.
- The U.S. military currently bans fully autonomous weapons.
- Shield AI aligns with this stance, despite VC pressure.
Tseng’s Vision: Ender’s Game Meets Modern Warfare
Tseng envisions a future where one person commands millions of drones—akin to the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game. But unlike the novel, these armies will be robotic, not human.
“It’ll be f—ing robots,” he quipped, underscoring the transformative potential of AI in defense.
The Road Ahead
Shield AI’s success hinges on balancing innovation with ethics. As Tseng puts it: “We aspire to perfect values, even if we’re not perfect.” With drones reshaping modern warfare, his company stands at the forefront—ready to defend, but never to cross the line into autonomous killing.
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