AI For Decision Advantage | Offset Symposium 2026

More data and more models don't automatically mean better decisions. At Offset 2026, leaders from Cohere, EdgeRunner AI, and the DoD's CDAO office join a Senate Armed Services Committee staffer and moderator Mike Stone (Reuters) to examine what it actually takes to turn AI into decision advantage — in the field, not just in theory. From drone swarms to sovereign edge models, this session covers where AI is already shifting the balance in high-stakes decision-making. Topics covered: ▸ Defining decision advantage: accelerating the kill chain and processing signals at scale ▸ Creating "unfair fights" through collaborative, heterogeneous autonomy and drone swarms ▸ Deploying AI at the tactical edge without connectivity or third-party APIs ▸ Sovereign, on-device models vs. general-purpose models with military safety guardrails ▸ Specialized models trained on military doctrine to reduce warfighter cognitive load ▸ DoD governance: keeping commanders as ultimate risk-bearers while moving faster ▸ Breaking data out of silos as a national strategic imperative ▸ Mission-based benchmarking: evaluating AI on speed and lethality, not abstract metrics ▸ Chinese open-source models and the case for a western-aligned AI ecosystem ************************************************************ Speakers: Ivan Zhang — Co-Founder, Cohere Davey Gibian — Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, DoD (D/CDAO) Marty Fromuth — Professional Staff Member, Senate Armed Services Committee Tyler Xuan Saltsman — Founder & CEO, EdgeRunner AI Moderator: Mike Stone — Defense Industry Reporter, Reuters ************************************************************ About Offset Symposium: Offset Symposium is Second Front's annual gathering of leaders across defense, technology, and venture capital, focused on accelerating software delivery, operational capability, and mission impact across the free world. ************************************************************ About Us: Second Front Systems powers software for the free world. We accelerate the secure deployment of critical technology to government, defense, and critical infrastructure—cutting timelines from years to weeks. Trusted by the world's leading organizations and built by national security veterans, we deliver the speed, trust, and outcomes global security demands. Website: https://www.secondfront.com/ LinkedIn:   / secondfront   #AIDecisionAdvantage #AIinDefense #DefenseTech #NationalSecurity #Offset2026 #SecondFront #CDAO #TacticalEdgeAI #DroneSwarms #MilitaryAI #OpenSourceAI #DoD #KillChain #EdgeAI #DefenseInnovation