The Art of the Possible, AI Enabled Unmanned Systems

AI isn't a feature you bolt onto a drone. It's the decision that determines whether your platform can operate independently, even when connectivity is lost and there's no one at the controls. In this session, I'll walk through how AI is reshaping drone technology from the ground up: onboard perception, navigation without GPS, real-time decision-making, and multi-vehicle coordination. I'll address the critical question head-on: should drones be AI-enabled, and to what extent? I'll draw from hands-on experience building AI and autonomy capabilities for hydrogen-powered UAS platforms serving the global market. I'll cover what AI can do today for autonomous drones, what it can't, and why that distinction matters. You'll leave with a clear picture of what's real, what's next, and what's still missing in what may be AI's fastest-moving application domain.