The Department of War (DoW) is moving faster than ever—embracing commercial technology, autonomous systems, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled capabilities. But this acceleration raises a critical question: what happens to the human in the loop?

Recorded at the NDIA Human Systems Conference, Arun Seraphin speaks with four leaders working at the intersection of technology, personnel, and defense innovation: Dr. Eric Sikorski, Stuart Michelson, Jenn McNamara, and Jesse Flint.

Together, they examine how evolving priorities within the Department of War (DoW) are accelerating adoption of autonomous systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI), while placing new demands on the workforce responsible for operating them. The discussion reveals that rapid defense innovation often outpaces workforce readiness and can create challenges in training, integration, and scalability.

This episode highlights how NDIA members across industry, academia, and government are advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and human performance strategies to ensure the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce can effectively support next-generation missions at speed.

See here for more information on NDIA's Human Systems Division: https://www.ndia.org/divisions/human-systems

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SAVE THE DATE: 2026 NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition September 9-10, 2026, at the Walter E. Washington DC Convention Center: ndiatechexpo.org/

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#EmergingTechnologies #DefenseInnovation #ArtificialIntelligence #DefenseAcquisition

Keywords:

- Defense innovation

- autonomous systems

- Artificial intelligence (AI)

- Department of Defense (DoD)

For decades, the U.S. government has tested weapons systems before deployment, but not the policies that govern them. That gap is starting to close through artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced modeling techniques.

In this episode, Dr. Arun Seraphin sits down with Dr. David Metcalf and Dr. Doug Buettner to explore how AI, multi-agent systems, and simulation technologies are transforming how defense policy can be designed, tested, and implemented. What emerges is a new paradigm: policy that can be modeled and refined before it ever reaches the real world.

The conversation explores how AI-powered multi-agent systems can simulate complex environments with multiple stakeholders, enabling policymakers to run thousands of “what if” scenarios in real time. As these systems scale, questions of bias, validation, and trust become central to whether artificial intelligence-driven insights can inform high-stakes decisions.

Looking ahead, the challenge is no longer technical feasibility—it is whether institutions can adopt AI and multi-agent systems, build the right validation frameworks, and ensure that AI-driven policy decision-making remains accountable.

NDIA ETI Brief -- “Using Data for Defense: Integrating Modeling & Simulation for Policymaking”: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/brief-series/policy-and-modeling

ADD WEBINAR ON POLICY MODELING – YOUTUBE VIDEO

ADD LINK to AIRC

SAVE THE DATE: 2026 NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition September 9-10, 2026, at the Walter E. Washington DC Convention Center: ndiatechexpo.org/

Be sure to follow us on social media for updates, early access to upcoming events, inside scoops, & more:

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4htROo0

Twitter: https://bit.ly/48LHAx3

Facebook: https://bit.ly/47vlht8

And for more podcasts, articles, & publications all things emerging tech, check out our website at: ndiaeti.org

#EmergingTech #ArtificialIntelligence #PublicPolicy #DefenseInnovation

Over the past decade, microelectronics and semiconductors have become a cornerstone of U.S. national security and supply chain resilience, moving beyond a purely technical issue to a central focus of economic and defense policy in Washington.

In this episode, host Dr. Arun Seraphin sits down with Grant Meyer, chair of the National Defense Industrial Association Electronics Division, to discuss the evolving role of the electronics industrial base in supporting U.S. defense capabilities and securing critical supply chains.

The conversation explores how rising geopolitical competition and legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act have accelerated federal attention on semiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics innovation, and resilient supply chains. Seraphin and Meyer also dive into the challenges of building a coherent national electronics strategy, including fragmented priorities across the industrial base and commercial technology sector, and the difficulty of aligning long-term defense acquisition timelines with fast-moving commercial cycles.

Meyer draws on his extensive experience in defense electronics to explain why microelectronics and semiconductors are foundational to modern military systems and national security infrastructure.

Check out Meyer’s NDIA division here: https://www.ndia.org/divisions/electronics

NDIA ETI Report – “Modernizing Defense Microelectronics: Challenges and Opportunities”: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/research-papers/modernizing-defense-microelectronics

ETH Podcast on Report:

https://www.youtube.com/@EmergingTechETI/search?query=electronics

ETH Podcast CHIPS Act and Microelectronics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36rGE0yjw1Y&t=5s

Tech 101 Webinar: Microelectronics - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6sxrq3PiwI&list=PL5oQnv75FK5bwT5tk6qgPa3FhLWm1vgAv&index=37&t=3066s&pp=iAQB

Be sure to follow us on social media for updates, early access to upcoming events, inside scoops, & more:

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4htROo0

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And for more podcasts, articles, & publications all things emerging tech, check out our website at: ndiaeti.org

#ETI #EmergingTech #SupplyChains #Microelectronics #Semiconductors