这段播客节目是 A-16C Growth 的普通合伙人 David George 与 Andro 的联合创始人兼首席执行官 Brian Shim 之间的对话。Andro 是一家国防科技公司，致力于颠覆传统的国防工业。他们讨论了 Andro 的国防技术方法、人工智能对现代战争的影响，以及初创企业在国防领域面临的挑战和机遇。 Andro 成立于 2017 年，专注于为国家安全和国防开发技术。Shim 在 Palantir 的工作经历让他看到了传统国防工业普遍存在的低效率和过时技术，这激发了他创建下一代国防公司的想法。Andro 的核心软件平台 Lattice 旨在理解战场上众多传感器生成的海量数据。在过去的七年里，他们已经开发了各种自主产品，并且刚刚宣布在俄亥俄州哥伦布市建立一家价值十亿美元的工厂 Arsenal One。 Andro 最初开发的产品是边境安全系统，该系统由自动摄像头和雷达组成，旨在监控边境。这个最初的项目为 Andro 奠定了一种模式：识别紧迫的问题，提出真正的技术解决方案，并应用尖端技术来解决这些问题。 对话深入探讨了人工智能在现代战争中的变革潜力。Shim 认为，人工智能最重要的贡献在于管理不断增长的传感器生成的大量信息。海量的数据使得识别敌人和了解他们的行动变得困难。人工智能可以筛选数据，提取有意义的信号，并提供对敌方行为的洞察。 人工智能还可以提高军事行动的自主性。不再依赖人类操作员，而是可以派遣自主无人机队执行任务，例如在特定区域搜索船只。这些无人机可以独立导航，适应不断变化的环境，并在部分无人机丢失时重新平衡其工作。 Shim 认为，人工智能应该增强人类的决策能力，而不是取代它。人类应该对战争中做出的决策承担责任，而人工智能应该为他们提供更好的背景、理解和清晰度。他认为，不将这些技术应用于国防是不道德的，因为它们可以改善决策并可能阻止冲突。 对话还涉及了初创企业在国防工业中航行所面临的挑战。获得合同、与政府机构建立关系以及证明新技术的有效性都是重大障碍。传统的成本加固定费用合同通常会激励更高的成本和不太可靠的产品。 为了取得成功，初创企业必须找到早期采用者，在政府内部建立势头和支持，并驾驭官僚程序。尽管承认这些挑战，Shim 认为政府的购买策略可以改进，但这对于 Andro 的成功来说并不是必要的。该公司将适应现有体系，并专注于交付创新解决方案。 两人讨论了美国的超音速项目如何在测试和迭代方面落后于中国。他们还讨论了重组工业供应链是一个国家安全问题，应该立即解决。 自 2017 年以来，围绕国防科技初创企业的叙述发生了巨大变化。最初，许多风险投资家对投资该领域犹豫不决。然而，随着主流基金进入市场，并且像 Andro 这样的公司的成功变得显而易见，对国防初创企业的兴趣激增。先前国防领域独有的技术出现商业投资也为初创企业创造了新的机会。

This podcast features a conversation between David George, General Partner at A-16C Growth, and Brian Shim, co-founder and CEO of Andro, a defense technology company aiming to disrupt the traditional defense industry. They discuss Andro's approach to defense technology, the impact of AI on modern warfare, and the challenges and opportunities for startups in the defense sector. Andro, founded in 2017, focuses on developing technologies for national security and defense. Shim's background at Palantir exposed him to the inefficiencies and outdated technology prevalent in the traditional defense industry, sparking the idea for a next-generation defense company. Andro's core software platform, Lattice, is designed to make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by numerous sensors on the battlefield. They've built a variety of autonomous products in the past seven years, and have just announced Arsenal One, a billion dollar factory in Columbus, Ohio. The first product Andro worked on was a border security system consisting of automated cameras and radars designed to monitor the border. This initial project established a pattern for Andro: identifying urgent problems with real tech solutions and applying cutting-edge technology to address them. The conversation delves into the transformative potential of AI in modern warfare. Shim argues that AI's most significant contribution lies in managing the overwhelming amount of information generated by a growing number of sensors. The sheer volume of data makes it difficult to identify adversaries and understand their actions. AI can sift through the data, extract meaningful signals, and provide insights into adversary behavior. AI can also enhance autonomy in military operations. Instead of relying on human operators, teams of autonomous drones can be tasked with missions, such as searching for ships in a specific area. These drones can navigate independently, adapt to changing conditions, and rebalance their efforts if some are lost. Shim believes that AI should augment human decision-making rather than replace it. Humans should retain accountability for decisions made in warfare, and AI should provide them with better context, understanding, and clarity. He argues that it is unethical not to apply these technologies to defense, as they can improve decision-making and potentially deter conflict. The conversation touches on the challenges of navigating the defense industry as a startup. Securing contracts, building relationships with government agencies, and proving the effectiveness of new technologies are all significant hurdles. The traditional cost-plus fixed fee contracts often incentivize higher costs and less reliable products. To be successful, startups must find early adopters, build momentum and advocacy within the government, and navigate the bureaucratic processes. While acknowledging the challenges, Shim believes that the government's buying strategies can be improved, but it is not necessary for Andro's success. The company will adapt to the existing system and focus on delivering innovative solutions. The two discuss how the US hypersonic programs are lagging behind China because of a lack of testing and iteration. They also discuss how retooling the industrial supply chain is a national security issue and should be addressed immediately. The narrative around defense technology startups has shifted dramatically since 2017. Initially, many venture capitalists were hesitant to invest in this sector. However, as mainline funds entered the market and the success of companies like Andro became apparent, interest in defense startups has surged. The emergence of commercial investment in technologies that were previously exclusive to defense has also created new opportunities for startups.