For Humanity: An AI Risk Podcast AI Safety on the Frontlines | For Humanity #73
Nov 8, 2025
Esben Kran, a leader in the for-profit AI safety movement, shares urgent insights from Ukraine, where he explores the intersection of AI safety and autonomous warfare. He discusses the rapid growth of Ukraine's drone industry and the real-world challenges it presents. Esben tackles pressing topics like the AI existential risk kill chain and practical steps to disable runaway AI systems. He highlights the potential dangers of swarm drones and emphasizes the need for innovative safety-first technologies as global competitive pressures drive military advancements.
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Episode notes
Technology Enables Effective Regulation
- Technology often creates the prerequisites for regulation and policy to work effectively.
- If verification tech doesn't exist, policymakers cannot realistically enforce controls.
Security Outlasts Capability Scaffolds
- Capability scaffolding becomes obsolete as base models improve rapidly.
- Security scaffolding is the thing that continues to scale and remain essential.
Danish Aid Sparked Ukraine's Drone Industry
- Denmark pledged large purchases from Ukrainian companies and helped incubate a domestic defense industry.
- That policy jumpstarted a new wave of Ukrainian battlefield tech startups.
