AI, war and capital: Why Germany must finally seize its defense opportunities

A contribution by Fabian Westerheide. He is a founding partner of the AI-focused venture capital investor AI.FUND and has been investing privately in AI companies through Asgard Capital since 2014. Westerheide provides strategic advice to public and private institutions in the field of AI and hosts the annual AI conference Rise of AI in Berlin.

Russian tanks outside Riga, a swarm of drones over Warsaw, a cyberattack on Berlin – scenarios that are suddenly conceivable again. Ukraine is demonstrating in real time what modern warfare looks like today: autonomous drones, artificial intelligence in the command post, digital warfare around the clock. But are we in Germany prepared for this? Without the support of the USA? The answer is uncomfortable: not by a long shot.