Autonomous Ukraine: We Are in a New Era of Warfare

This episode explores how the emergence of drone warfare and innovation under fire is transforming power and forcing nations to rethink strategy and military capacity.

Host:

Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcasting, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Guests:

Michael C. Horowitz, Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Erin D. Dumbacher, Stanton Nuclear Security Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

We discuss:

• How Ukraine is redefining modern warfare with cheap, scalable drone technology that can take down multimillion-dollar weapons.
• As Michael Horowitz puts it: “We’ve entered the era of precise mass in war.”
• How Ukraine became a real-world testing ground for autonomous weapons and AI-driven combat systems.
• Why small countries can now challenge military superpowers using precision strike at scale.
• How 70% of battlefield casualties in Ukraine are now linked to drone warfare, not traditional weapons.
• How Silicon Valley quietly became a key player in the war, from Starlink to AI intelligence and communication tools.
• How Russia is adapting just as quickly, scaling drone production and learning in real time.
• What the U.S. risks if it fails to keep up with rapid battlefield innovation and production speed.

Read More:

Securing Ukraine’s Future, CFR

Michael C. Horowitz and Lauren Kahn, “Military AI Adoption Is Outpacing Global Cooperation,” CFR.org 

Michael Horowitz, “What Drones Can—and Cannot—Do on the Battlefield,” Foreign Affairs

Erin D. Dumbacher, “Nukes Without Limits? A New Era After the End of New START,” CFR.org

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Why It Matters is a production of the Council on Foreign Relations. The opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host and guests, not of the Council, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.