National Security & Defense: From AI Warfare to Smell Cyborgs
- Date
- 2025-06-24
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Host
- Deep Tech Week
About this event
National security is being reshaped in real time by software, sensors, autonomy, and entirely new ideas about what counts as a strategic advantage. If you want a sharper understanding of where defense is heading, and you want to discuss it with people who are actively thinking about the implications, this evening in San Francisco is designed to put the biggest questions on the table. From AI-enabled warfare to the strange, serious frontier of smell cyborgs, this event explores how emerging technologies are moving from research and speculation into operational relevance. Expect a grounded, high-signal gathering focused on what these shifts mean for defense, industry, and the broader community building around them. About the Event This is an in-person conversation for people interested in the future of defense and national security, especially where AI, autonomy, and unconventional human-machine systems are changing the landscape. The title signals the range: some topics will feel familiar if you follow defense tech closely, while others will push into areas that sound unusual at first but point to real capabilities and new strategic possibilities. The event is built for thoughtful discussion rather than passive attendance. It is a chance to engage with a community that takes both the technical and strategic dimensions of warfare seriously, and that wants to examine not only what is possible, but what is useful, credible, and likely to matter over the next few years. Because the audience will likely span builders, operators, researchers, and the simply curious, the format is especially valuable: you can hear different perspectives in the same room, test your own assumptions, and leave with a clearer view of where consensus exists and where major debates are still unresolved. What to Expect You should expect an evening centered on current and near-future defense questions, with a particular focus on AI, autonomy, and edge-case technologies that may become strategically important faster than most people expect. The conversation will likely move between battlefield applications, sensing and perception, operational decision-making, and the broader ecosystem required to turn emerging technology into deployed capability. Topics in the room may include: AI in warfare: how machine intelligence is influencing planning, targeting, logistics, intelligence, and command decisions Autonomy: where autonomous systems are proving useful, where they remain constrained, and what adoption looks like in practice Defense innovation: how new technologies move from prototypes and demos into systems that can actually be trusted and used Human-machine augmentation: why something as surprising as smell cyborgs belongs in a serious national security conversation Community and ecosystem building: who needs to collaborate to move good ideas into real-world defense applications Rather than treating these as isolated trends, the event is likely to connect them. AI warfare is not just about algorithms; it touches procurement, policy, interfaces, hardware, doctrine, and trust. Likewise, unconventional sensor or augmentation systems are not novelties if they can expand perception, improve detection, or give operators an advantage in contested environments. Attendees should also expect valuable informal conversation before, during, or after the main programming. In a space like this, some of the most useful insights come from side discussions: comparing views on what is overhyped, what is underrated, and what is finally becoming practical. Why Attend If you work in or around defense, this event offers a concentrated way to update your mental model of the field. The technology stack behind national security is changing quickly, and it is increasingly shaped by software-native thinking, faster iteration cycles, and interdisciplinary work that does not fit neatly into old categories. If you are newer to the space, this is also a strong entry point. The combination of recognizable themes like AI and autonomy with more unexpected ones creates a better conversation than a narrow technical panel would. You get exposure to both the mainstream direction of defense innovation and the fringe ideas that may become tomorrow's standard tools. You may leave with: A clearer sense of which defense tech themes deserve real attention now Better language for discussing AI and autonomy in a national security context A more nuanced view of how experimental technologies become operationally relevant Stronger connections with people thinking seriously about defense, warfare, and community building New questions to explore in your own work, research, investing, or career Just as importantly, attending helps you calibrate your thinking against others who care about these issues. In a field where headlines often outrun reality, being in the room can help separate durable signals from noise. Practical Details This event takes place in person in San Francisco, USA on Monday, June 23 at 5:30 PM PDT. The in-person format matters: these are complex topics, and the value comes not only from hearing ideas presented clearly but from being able to discuss, challenge, and refine them with others face to face. Because the subject matter spans defense, warfare, AI, and autonomy, it is worth arriving ready for a serious but open-minded conversation. You do not need to come with all the answers, but you will get more from the evening if you bring curiosity, informed questions, and a willingness to engage across disciplines. A few practical reasons this timing works well: Early evening scheduling makes it easier to attend after the workday In-person setting supports stronger networking and more candid discussion San Francisco location places the event within a city deeply connected to AI, startups, and emerging technology communities If these topics are already on your radar, this is the kind of event that can sharpen your perspective quickly. And if the phrase "smell cyborgs" made you pause, that is exactly the point: the future of defense will include both the expected and the surprising, and the people who understand both will be better prepared for what comes next.
Who should attend
This is for people who want a more serious, current view of how defense is changing through AI, autonomy, and emerging human-machine systems. - You work in **defense, national security, or government-adjacent roles** and want to stay current on technologies that may shape future operational capabilities. - You are a **founder, engineer, researcher, or product builder** exploring defense applications for AI, sensing, robotics, autonomy, or other dual-use technologies. - You are an **investor, operator, or ecosystem participant** trying to understand which defense trends are gaining real traction versus which ones are still mostly theory. - You are part of the **broader AI or frontier tech community** in San Francisco and want a better grasp of how your work connects to national security questions. - You are intellectually curious about **warfare, strategy, and unconventional systems** and want to discuss these topics with others who take them seriously. - You value being in a room with people from different angles of the field, where you can **learn, question assumptions, and build relationships** around a fast-moving area of technology. If you want a conversation that goes beyond headlines and gets into what may actually matter, you will likely feel at home here.