Key Points
- Ethan Thornton, CEO of Mach Industries, to discuss AI-driven defense tech at TechCrunch Disrupt
- Mach Industries is building decentralized, next-generation defense technologies with AI at their core
- The company aims to safeguard freedom on a global scale using frontier hardware, software, and autonomy
- Mach Industries is part of a new wave of AI-native startups transforming national defense
- The session will explore autonomous systems, edge computing, and dual-use technologies
Next-Generation Defense Technologies
At TechCrunch Disrupt, Ethan Thornton, CEO and founder of Mach Industries, will talk about building decentralized, next-generation defense technologies with AI at their core. Thornton’s company, launched out of MIT, aims to safeguard freedom on a global scale using frontier hardware, software, and autonomy.
Mach Industries is part of a new wave of companies proving that AI-native startups can play a critical role in national defense. This session will explore what that means in practice, including autonomous systems, edge computing, and dual-use technologies that blur the lines between commercial innovation and military capability.
Thornton will also discuss navigating funding, regulation, and responsibility at the intersection of tech and geopolitics. With global tensions rising and investment in defense tech accelerating, this conversation offers a timely look at how artificial intelligence is reshaping security, strategy, and sovereignty.
Source: techcrunch.com