“Artificial intelligence (AI) pilots will bring innovation to warfare, and Shield AI will lead that change.”
Brandon Tseng, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the U.S. AI defense startup Shield AI, noted this in a recent written interview with ChosunBiz. This is his first interview with the Korean media.
Shield AI is a company founded in 2015 by CEO Brandon Tseng. He served as a member and engineer in the U.S. Navy Special Forces, studied mechanical engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, and earned an MBA from Stanford University.
Currently, Shield AI is developing AI-based autonomous flight software, known as 'AI pilots', applied to unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, supplying them to government agencies worldwide, including the U.S. Japan and Singapore are also counted as major customers.
In particular, Shield AI has garnered attention this year after securing large investments from major defense technology corporations, including Palantir, Airbus, and L3 Harris.
In January, it received $200 million (approximately 280 billion won) from Palantir, Airbus, and L3 Harris, and in March, it attracted an additional $240 million (approximately 336 billion won) primarily from L3 Harris and existing investor Andreessen Horowitz. Currently, Shield AI is valued at about $5.3 billion (approximately 7.43 trillion won).
Tseng cited technology as Shield AI's greatest competitive advantage. He explained, “The autonomous flight technology developed by Shield AI can operate even when GPS or communication is lost,” and added, “Our unmanned aerial vehicle 'V-BAT' was deployed with the Ukrainian military in the Russia-Ukraine war, conducting operations in extreme electronic warfare conditions where communication was impossible and neutralizing Russian air defense systems.”
Currently, V-BAT is actively operated in military applications in the U.S. and Japan. However, the process of supplying autonomous flight software to the Ministry of National Defense was not smooth.
Tseng reflected, “It was unimaginably difficult for a startup without a weapons portfolio to supply weapon systems to the U.S. military,” noting, “After years of persistent challenges, countless field tests, and close cooperation with pilots, we were able to deliver software to the U.S. military.”
He also highlighted that Shield AI is accelerating technology development through collaboration with global corporations. He stated, “We are enhancing the sophistication of AI autonomous flight technology in collaboration with global tech companies like Palantir.”
The Russia-Ukraine war has also had a significant impact on the growth of Shield AI.
He stated, “No one wants war,” but added, “This war was a signal demanding a fundamental evolution of defense technology, including AI.”
He emphasized that “Even traditional defense corporations are now actively integrating AI technology into existing weapon systems such as fighter jets and tanks,” asserting, “Shield AI will be at the center of this paradigm shift.”
Shield AI recently entered the Korean market. Following the selection of domestic AI defense startup Quantum Aero as its business partner, it signed a contract in March to supply an AI autonomous flight software development program with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).
Tseng stated, “The Korean defense industry has a global competitive edge, from tanks to missiles,” and revealed plans to continuously expand operations in Korea, starting with KAI.
He emphasized future plans, stating, “We will establish AI autonomous combat systems across all domains, including air, sea, and land,” and added, “Shield AI will become a key technology corporation that deters future wars and underpins global security.”