Emerging Tech Horizons

Dr. Arun Seraphin
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  • Physics
  • Twice monthly

ETI provides research and analyses to inform the development and integration of emerging technologies into the defense industrial base. This podcast will feature topics and speakers focusing on emerging technologies.

  1. 10 hr ago

    Wearables for Warfighters: How WHOOP is Powering Human Performance in National Security

    Two of WHOOP's first 100 paying customers were LeBron James and Michael Phelps. The device built to optimize elite athletic performance is now finding a second calling in national security — and the story of how it got there says as much about military institutions as it does about the technology. Todd Stiefler, VP of Enterprise and Public Sector at WHOOP, joins Dr. Arun Seraphin at Emerging Tech Horizons to explain how a consumer fitness wearable became a force readiness tool, and what's still standing in the way of adoption at scale.  Learn more about WHOOP here: https://www.whoop.com/us/en/ 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: https://bit.ly/47oA5K1  #ETI #EmergingTech #WearableTech

    39 min

  2. 10 Jun

    Inside NDIA’s Defense Hackathon: How Collaboration, Learning, and Rapid Problem Solving Come Together

    Hackathons are becoming an increasingly important tool in the defense innovation ecosystem. When designed intentionally, hackathons can work for everyone involved in defense innovation. In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons, Dr. Arun Seraphin is joined by Nick Lanham, Chair of NDIA’s Data Analytics and Enterprise Platforms Division and Senior Data & AI Analyst at Kairos, and Charles Ott, Vice President and Solution Strategist at Maximus, to discuss NDIA’s hackathon model and what makes it effective. The conversation offers a practical look at how this hackathon works: bringing together technologists, industry leaders, and government users for a focused, time‑boxed effort to tackle real defense problems. Rather than operating as a competition or a coding exercise, the hackathon is designed as a collaborative learning environment—one where participants share knowledge, test ideas, and better understand both user needs and institutional constraints. Lanham and Ott explain why this approach benefits everyone involved. Across the board, participants leave with a clearer picture of the problem space and stronger connections across the defense innovation community. The episode looks back at NDIA’s inaugural hackathon, highlights what worked, and previews what’s planned for the upcoming event at the Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference. More broadly, it explains why thoughtfully designed hackathons are emerging as a valuable complement to traditional acquisition and innovation processes. Learn more and get involved with this year’s NDIA Hackathon: https://hackathon.ndia.org/browse?status=upcoming Read ETI’s brief on Hackathons as a defense acquisition tool: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/brief-series/competing-for-capability 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 #DefenseHackathon #DefenseInnovation #EmergingTechnologies #NationalSecurity

    1 hr

  3. 3 Jun

    Beyond Attrition: Integrating Drone and Unmanned Systems into the Future of U.S. Warfare

    After more than four years of conflict, the war in Ukraine has produced an unprecedented body of data on rapid innovation, emerging technology, and the evolving role of drone warfare and unmanned systems on the modern battlefield. The pressing question for U.S. defense planners is which of those lessons can be translated to the U.S. way of war, and which, if applied too directly, risk misdirecting future force development. In this episode, host Dr. Arun Seraphin is joined by Anna Kim, Associate Research Fellow at the Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI), and Matt Dooley, President and CEO of Fidelium and Chair of the NDIA Robotics Division, to discuss their ETI white paper, "Beyond Attrition: Interpreting the Limits of Lessons from Ukraine for Future US Force Development." The paper examines what full integration of drone technologies, autonomous systems, and emerging military technologies into the U.S. Joint Force would actually require. The conversation explores why Ukraine's battlefield innovation and drone-driven "iteration under fire" model cannot be copied wholesale into the U.S. statutory and industrial environment, the enduring importance of combined arms warfare, and why the future force depends on integrating attritable unmanned systems with legacy maneuver platforms rather than choosing between them. Kim and Dooley also discuss the Army's Transformation in Contact (TiC) and Human Machine Integrated Formation (HMIF) initiatives, Project Convergence, and the Pentagon's Drone Dominance program, along with the production, sustainment, and training challenges of fielding robotic, autonomous, and emerging technology-enabled warfare capabilities at the scale a future fight will demand. Read ETI’s White Paper "Beyond Attrition: Interpreting the Limits of Lessons from Ukraine for Future US Force Development": https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/brief-series/beyond-attrition Learn more about NDIA's Robotics Division: https://www.ndia.org/divisions/robotics For updates on our content, sign up for our weekly mailer: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up SAVE THE DATE: 2026 NDIA Future Force Capabilities Conference & Exhibition, June 8–10, 2026, at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV — where Anna and Matt will continue the conversation: https://ndiaffc.org 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 on emerging technology, check out our website at: ndiaeti.org

    44 min

  4. 27 May

    Fight the Base: Military Infrastructure Resilience Against Cyberattacks in a Contested Battlespace

    Military bases are no longer guaranteed sanctuaries. As cyberattacks, drones, long-range missiles, and space-based threats expand the battlefield, U.S. installations must be treated as operational assets, not just support infrastructure. In this episode, Brian Stites, ETI Visiting Fellow and Chair of NDIA’s Cyber Warfare Division, speaks with Brig. Gen. Guy Walsh, USAF (Ret.), Executive Vice President and COO of National Defense Industrial Association, and Daryl Haegley, Technical Director for Control Systems Cyber Resiliency for the Department of the Air Force, about what it means to “fight the base.”  The conversation examines how military infrastructure is moving beyond static compliance and audit reporting toward real-time resilience, operational readiness, and validated assessment under duress. The discussion also explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technology can help identify vulnerabilities, support resilience planning, and improve decision-making for installation commanders facing increasingly complex threats. Additionally, the episode highlights why vendors, operators, engineers, and cyber professionals must work together to maintain mission readiness when critical infrastructure is degraded.  Read ETI’s related White Paper “FIGHT THE BASE: UNIFIED CONSTRUCT FOR USAF INSTALLATIONS AS FORWARD OPERATING WEAPONS PLATFORMS”:  https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/brief-series/fight-the-base  For updates on our content, sign up for our weekly mailer: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up  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 on emerging technology, check out our website at: ndiaeti.org  #EmergingTech #CyberResilience #CyberAttacks #CriticalInfrastructure #DefenseInnovation

    45 min

  5. 20 May

    Connecting the Factory to the Fight: AI-Enabled Software and Proactive Defense Supply Chains

    The Department of War manages trillions of dollars in capabilities through an acquisition system that has not kept pace with the technologies it is meant to deliver. As readiness rates decline and supply chains grow more contested, modernizing how the defense enterprise uses data has become a national security imperative, and AI-enabled software is at the center of that effort.  In this episode, host Dr. Arun Seraphin sits down with Dr. Jen Gebhardt, Director of Research at Govini, to discuss how AI and advanced data analysis are transforming defense acquisition, sustainment, and contested logistics. Drawing on Govini's work with Project Convergence and Air Force sustainment programs, Gebhardt explains how the shift from a reactive to a proactive supply chain can compress resupply planning into under an hour and connect the factory to the fight in near real time.  The conversation also covers sub-tier supply chain visibility and the "illusion of diversity" in critical industrial bases like solid rocket motors, the role of AI in identifying financial fragility and foreign ownership risks, and how government access to technical data correlates directly with readiness. Gebhardt also previews her upcoming paper "Sustaining the Fight," to be presented at the Naval Postgraduate School's Acquisition Research Symposium.  Learn more about Govini: https://www.govini.com/ Read Govini's related framework piece, "From Factory to Fight: A Modern Framework for Defense Logistics": https://www.govini.com/blog/from-factory-to-fight-a-modern-framework-for-defense-logistics 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 #DefenseAcquisition #SupplyChains #NationalSecurity

    41 min

  6. 13 May

    Start in Elementary School: Building America’s Defense STEM Pipeline

    Start in Elementary School: Building America’s National Security STEM Pipeline YouTube Description: America’s next generation of emerging technology will not be built without the workforce to design, manufacture, operate, and sustain it. Jeremy Anderson, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), argues that K–12 STEM education is a national security priority, and the pipeline has to begin long before college or career decisions. Anderson explains NMSI’s “train the trainers” model, which equips teachers, school leaders, counselors, and media specialists to help students build confidence, rigor, and a stronger STEM identity. According to Anderson, students who have at least one NMSI-trained teacher are far more likely to pursue a STEM degree or credential in fields tied to emerging technology and innovation. Industry cannot rely only on late-stage internships or higher education programs. Companies can help grow the future workforce by supporting teacher externships, connecting classrooms to real jobs, and investing earlier in tomorrow’s STEM talent to strengthen America’s national security and leadership in emerging technology. National Math & Science Initiative https://www.nms.org/ Be sure to follow us on social media for updates, 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: https://bit.ly/47oA5K1  #emergingtech #STEM #NationalSecurity

    36 min

  7. 6 May

    Beyond the Battlefield: Emerging Technology, AI, and the Future Force of War

    As Emerging Technology continues to accelerate across domains like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Biotechnology, & Brain-computer interfaces coverage, humanity may be approaching a threshold that fundamentally redefines what it means to wage war – and what it means to be human. In this episode, host Dr. Arun Seraphin is joined by Dr. Daniel Gerstein, adjunct professor at American University and George Mason University, to discuss Dr. Gerstein's upcoming novel, War Without Humanity: Conflict in the Post-Human Era. Drawing on his extensive background in National Security and Homeland Security, Dr. Gerstein explores a near-future world in which humans, augmented soldiers, and AI-enabled humanoid robots operate side by side on the battlefield – a force he calls the Future Force. The conversation covers the Emerging Technology capabilities at the heart of this transformation and what these developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Biotechnology mean for ethical military doctrine, arms control, and international law in an evolving National Security landscape. 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: https://bit.ly/47oA5K1   #EmergingTech #AI #BioTechnology #FutureForce Keywords: -            Emerging Technology -            Artificial Intelligence (AI) -            Biotechnology -            National Security -            Homeland Security -            Future Force

    42 min

  8. 29 Apr

    Human Systems at the Speed of Acquisition: How Defense Innovation Is Reshaping the Workforce

    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 For updates on our content, sign up for our weekly mailer: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/sign-up 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   #EmergingTechnologies #DefenseInnovation #ArtificialIntelligence #DefenseAcquisition   Keywords: -            Defense innovation -            autonomous systems -            Artificial intelligence (AI) -            Department of Defense (DoD)

    1hr 1min
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About

ETI provides research and analyses to inform the development and integration of emerging technologies into the defense industrial base. This podcast will feature topics and speakers focusing on emerging technologies.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Arun Seraphin
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    165
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Arun Seraphin
  • Show Website
    Emerging Tech Horizons

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