Titled “The Impact of Technology on the Rapidly Changing Geo-Strategic Landscape,” the conversation brought together General John Abizaid, Tim Solms (Slingshot Aerospace), and Wasim Khaled (Blackbird.AI), moderated by Andy Bair of Sway Capital, for a sobering yet solutions-oriented discussion on modern warfare, space sustainability, and narrative defense.

Multi-Domain Conflict in the Digital Age

General Abizaid, a former U.S. CENTCOM Commander and recent U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, provided unmatched geopolitical context—drawing from decades of military leadership and diplomatic service. He emphasized that today’s battlefields are not limited to geography, but extend into cyber, space, and the psychological domain.

“We are in an era of persistent conflict—where power is projected not just through force, but through data, influence, and orbital presence,” Abizaid noted.

His remarks underscored how statecraft is increasingly shaped by technology platforms, asymmetric threats, and the race for digital and spatial dominance.

Securing Earth’s Orbit—and the Information Layer

Tim Solms, CEO of Slingshot Aerospace, shifted the focus to the final frontier. He detailed how Slingshot is building the infrastructure for orbital traffic coordination, satellite defense, and real-time tracking of objects in space—capabilities that are quickly becoming mission-critical as space becomes commercialized, contested, and congested.

“If you don’t know what’s happening in orbit, you’re blind to a growing arena of global risk—and opportunity.”

Solms emphasized the commercial and governmental urgency for technologies that safeguard space assets, prevent collisions, and provide actionable intelligence to decision-makers on Earth.

Wasim Khaled, Co-Founder of Blackbird.AI, brought the conversation back to the information layer, where narratives, misinformation, and influence operations increasingly define both domestic cohesion and international diplomacy. He discussed how AI is being weaponized at scale—and how Blackbird is building tools that identify and mitigate narrative warfare before it shapes policy, markets, or conflict.

“Power today is about controlling the story as much as the strategy. AI is amplifying that battlefield.”

Strategy Meets Innovation

Moderator Andy Bair drew clear lines between these evolving domains, highlighting the growing interdependence between defense, commercial technology, and private capital. The panelists agreed: deterrence, resilience, and national security in the 21st century will depend not just on military spending, but on strategic partnerships with innovators who move faster than government procurement cycles.

A Call for Cross-Sector Readiness

For investors and technologists, the message was clear: defense is being redefined, and the winners will be those who can deliver precision, foresight, and trust at speed. Whether it’s orbital command and control, narrative threat detection, or AI-informed situational awareness, the future of security lies in multi-domain intelligence powered by scalable, adaptable tech.

In an era of compounding threats and converging technologies, this session offered rare insight into how real-time innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and strategic clarity will define the new defense economy. As capital and capability converge, sessions like these make it clear: the next frontier of security is already here—and it demands action.

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