The CEO's address is a de facto ASX announcement.
BRN Discussion Ongoing
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CEO Sean:
Chief Executive Officer Address
Hello and let me first extend my personal welcome to today’s session. I have really been looking forward to this AGM for quite some time as we have been working very hard on many fronts to make fundamental changes, and we are now at the point where the changes are starting to pay off. When Antonio and I arrived a few years back it was clear to us that a large amount of change was required in order for us to succeed and thrive. Would I have liked to see progress happen more quickly? Absolutely. But the changesI directed were made, and we are now seeing the start of the results. Let me outline how we will use our time. I will start this session by giving you a high-level overview of the state of our business, before delving into the market landscape, our achievements over the past year, and close with our ambitious plans for 2025.Before we continue, I hope you had the opportunity to attend Dr Tapson’s roadmap presentation earlier today. For those who did, you witnessed firsthand the extraordinary efforts our team has undertaken to expand and strengthen our product portfolio. It was clear to me that this extensive product development was not optional, but essential for us to establish first a foothold and then achieve scalable growth in the Edge AI market. The transformation from the initial Akida offering to the robust suite of products we now deliver represents a giant leap forward, fuelled by vision, innovation, and determination.As Dr Tapson conveyed, our commitment to product development is ongoing and unyielding, because the pace of technological advancement demands nothing less from industry leaders.Our efforts are already yielding meaningful results. The strategic wins of 2024—such as partnerships with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Frontgrade Gaisler, and our collaborative efforts with companies such as Onsor and Chelpis are just the beginning.
Page | 4These victories showcase BrainChip’s increasing momentum and provide a strong platform for our future growth.When I look at the enhanced breadth of our product portfolio, our well-defined and ambitious roadmap ahead, the calibre of our commercial successes, and the depth of our industry collaborations, my confidence in BrainChip’s trajectory has never been stronger. I firmly believe these elements position us to achieve sustainable revenue growth and establish ourselves as a dominant force in Edge AI for years to come.While our journey has not been without challenges or delays, and has taken longer than I expected, I am resolute in my conviction that the decisions we have made, and the actions we continue to take, are paving the way for BrainChip to thrive as a long-term market leader.As we step into 2025, our focus will be laser-sharp on four critical objectives: •Drive focused and agile innovation throughout the product development process to enhance our product portfolio; •Expand our marketing efforts to project a clear image of our innovation, capabilities and strengths; •Improve our Investor Relations to give stakeholders clear, transparent, and top-tier communication that reflects our commitment to shareholder engagement; and•Secure larger and more commercial wins to cement our market leadership in the Edge AI segment.Before diving into the specifics of how we will achieve these goals, I want to take a moment to reflect on the market we serve. Understanding its dynamic nature and opportunities is essential to appreciating the progress we have made and the strategic direction we are taking. The Edge AI Market: A Catalyst for InnovationAt last year’s AGM, I highlighted the emergence of Generative AI and its gradual transition from the data centre to the Edge. Over the past year, this shift has accelerated at an unprecedented rate, fuelled by the demand for greater business value, reduced latency, and cost efficiencies offered by Edge devices. Large Language Models (LLMs), the cornerstone of Generative AI, are increasingly being optimised for Edge deployment. Innovative companies are frequently announcing breakthroughs in Edge-compatible LLMs, addressing market needs with agility and foresight. BrainChip is at the forefront of this innovation.Advanced model training techniques, such as distillation, have emerged as game-changers in this landscape. Pioneered by organisations such as DeepSeek, these techniques enable the transformation of large, data-centre-based LLMs into
Page | 5streamlined, Edge-ready models. This evolution is reshaping possibilities, enabling businesses to capitalise on the power of AI while overcoming constraints.In parallel, awareness and recognition of State-Space Models (SSMs), a core strength of BrainChip’s with our TENNs technology, have significantly grown. Industry leaders such as NVIDIA and Tencent have demonstrated their commitment to SSMs with notable advancements. Examples are NVIDIA’s endorsement of SSMs and Tencent’s release of Hunyuan-11, an enterprise scale LLM. These developments validate the compelling advantages of SSMs over traditional Transformer models, particularly for Generative AI on the Edge. We are confident that SSMs will become the preferred model type in this dynamic domain.Establishing leadership in SSMs for Edge applications is fundamental to BrainChip’s vision. By harnessing this transformative technology, we are poised to redefine possibilities and cement our position as trailblazers in Edge AI innovation.The Year in ReviewThis past year has been a transformative one for BrainChip, marked by remarkable progress and groundbreaking technological advancements. As Dr Tapson emphasised in the earlier session today, we have made great strides in our Akida design work. With a steadfast commitment to innovation, we elevated the Akida 2.0 platform to enrich its functionality through strong partnerships and collaborative dialogues. In response to the rapid evolution of the Artificial Intelligence industry, our product and engineering teams took decisive action, ensuring swift, impactful releases. Our Akida Generation 2 platform stands as a game-changing enhancement to its predecessor, delivering unparalleled power and performance while supporting a larger range of industry models. This leap forward positions us as an industry leader, ready to meet the accelerating pace at which new AI models are developed.The innovations embedded in Akida Generation 2—such as long-range skip connections and programmable activation functions—have unlocked the potential to address an ever-widening spectrum of use cases. We have adapted to meet the shifting demands of the market, guided by invaluable insights from customer interactions. To that end, I initiated a focused effort to supercharge our MetaTF framework, simplifying and expediting the characterisation of customer models and migrating them to the Akida design. Our software team has embraced the ambitious goal of delivering a seamless, intuitive, and pleasant experience for our customers—a hallmark of excellence we strive for.The Future is TENNs, our advanced State Space Model. Last year, we introduced you to Temporal Event-based Neural Networks (TENNs), our proprietary State Space Model (SSM), and its revolutionary potential. Over the past year, BrainChip has taken bold steps to commercialise and solidify the TENNs algorithm and models, securing a competitive edge for the company.
Page | 6Our achievements in this area speak volumes:•We secured four new patents, filed 16 additional patents (8 derivatives and 12 new topics).•We began the development and started to release the first wave of 12 TENNs models with more on the horizon.•We published results, released practical techniques for development, and gave impactful speeches about TENNs in places such as
The International Conference of Learning Representations (ICLR), one of the most prestigious ML conferences in the world, where we presented TENNs State Space Modelling with Optimal Tensor Contractions. oInterspeech, where we presented real-time speech enhancements on raw signals with Deep State Space Modelling. oIEEE/Conference on computer vision and pattern recognition, showcasing cutting-edge advancements in computer vision.oEmbedded Vision Summit, Edge AI Foundation summits, and the annual AI Hardware and Edge Summit where we unveiled our latest TENNs demos featuring an appliance LLM. These milestones reaffirm our leadership in the AI and machine learning space, showcasing the practical power of TENNs through published results, and presented groundbreaking techniques in Edge AI.Breaking New Ground in Sales and MarketingOn the sales and marketing front, the seeds we have planted are beginning to bear fruit. Notable milestones include a pivotal win at the Air Force Research Labs, which underscores the robustness of our TENNs algorithm, and the Frontgrade-Geisler GRAIN SOC integration of Akida IP for space applications, set to begin sampling silicon later this year.Strategic collaborations, such as our partnership with Onsor to enable seizure prediction glasses that use Akida, and proof-of-concept projects with industry leaders like Bascom Hunter, EDGX, Airbus, and Chelpis, hold the promise of blossoming into high-value engagements. Additionally, our intensified efforts in winning U.S. government business, with several proposals submitted monthly, position us for greater success.Expanding Our Patent PortfolioInnovation and intellectual property remain at the heart of our strategy. Over the past year, we filed 16 additional patent applications, bringing our total portfolio to an impressive 54 patents—all while reducing filing costs by 30%. This achievement reflects
Page | 7our unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries and safeguarding our leadership position. These accomplishments are a testament to our vision, resilience, and drive to lead the industry. Together, we are building a future defined by innovation, excellence, and limitless possibilities. We move forward with pride, knowing that we are shaping the world of tomorrow.Our Focus Until the Next AGM: Driving Success and Achieving ExcellenceAs we look ahead, my foremost priority is clear: to significantly increase both the rate and value of contract closures compared to 2024, with a broader product range and an increased marketing effort. With a rapidly growing pipeline of opportunities, we are positioned to achieve higher revenue goals in 2025 and 2026. These opportunities, which include use cases for LLMs, end-to-end audio, and object detection, hold great promise. With our enhanced Akida designs, strengthened software stack, and an expanded range of supported models, we are more prepared than ever to deliver on these ambitions.At the heart of this strategy is a customer-centric culture that we have embraced across the company. Every department is now aligned with the principle that nothing is more important than addressing the needs of our potential customers, ensuring that we respond swiftly, effectively, and with purpose. Before our next AGM, our technical teams will achieve a groundbreaking milestone: the launch of the industry’s first AI hardware accelerator for State-Space Models (SSMs), coupled with a suite of TENNs models tailored to the most common use cases. A lot of work has already been done in this area, and a prototype has been demonstrated to potential customers. The prototype has shown unmatched performance, and further innovation will cement BrainChip’s differentiated leadership position in this market.Additionally, we are developing our Next Generation Akida IP architecture- Akida 3, designed with flexibility and programmability at its core. This forward-looking approach ensures that we are future-proofing our technology for as yet unknown model types and challenges to come.You will also see a heightened commitment to marketing and outreach. We are amplifying our efforts to engage with the developer community and industry stakeholders. Shortly after the AGM, we will unveil a dynamic new version of the brainchip.com website, building on the success of our current site. This will be followed by the launch of a dedicated, developer-focused companion site later this year. We will expand our presence at events, increase interviews and demand-generation campaigns, and strengthen our thought-leadership in publications and online platforms, aimed at forging more meaningful engagements and relationships.
Page | 8 Closing Remarks:In the rapidly evolving Edge AI market, the transformation over the past few years has been extraordinary. What began as a space with simple solutions implemented by a few players has become a dynamic industry demanding complex, high-performance solutions across numerous sectors.As Dr Tapson and I have outlined, we have taken deliberate and decisive steps to position BrainChip as a leader in this evolving environment. The work we have done, and continue to do, is strengthening the foundation for us to thrive amid these industry changes.Make no mistake: 2025 is the most pivotal year in our company’s history. The entire BrainChip team is operating with a sense of urgency, keenly aware of the importance of securing more, and higher value, wins this year.We are beginning to see the fruits of our labour with critical commercial successes, key collaborations, and a promising pipeline. Our progress is a testament to the soundness of our strategy and our unwavering commitment to generating sustainable, meaningful revenue streams.Lastly, as we look to the future, I firmly believe the industry will consolidate to a handful of leading-E dge AI providers, including BrainChip. Each commercial win, and each product innovation strengthens our position and brings us closer to this vision.We are resolutely focused on achieving this vision. Thank you for your continued support and trust in our mission. Now, let me turn the meeting back to the Chairman. -END -
Chief Executive Officer Address
Hello and let me first extend my personal welcome to today’s session. I have really been looking forward to this AGM for quite some time as we have been working very hard on many fronts to make fundamental changes, and we are now at the point where the changes are starting to pay off. When Antonio and I arrived a few years back it was clear to us that a large amount of change was required in order for us to succeed and thrive. Would I have liked to see progress happen more quickly? Absolutely. But the changesI directed were made, and we are now seeing the start of the results. Let me outline how we will use our time. I will start this session by giving you a high-level overview of the state of our business, before delving into the market landscape, our achievements over the past year, and close with our ambitious plans for 2025.Before we continue, I hope you had the opportunity to attend Dr Tapson’s roadmap presentation earlier today. For those who did, you witnessed firsthand the extraordinary efforts our team has undertaken to expand and strengthen our product portfolio. It was clear to me that this extensive product development was not optional, but essential for us to establish first a foothold and then achieve scalable growth in the Edge AI market. The transformation from the initial Akida offering to the robust suite of products we now deliver represents a giant leap forward, fuelled by vision, innovation, and determination.As Dr Tapson conveyed, our commitment to product development is ongoing and unyielding, because the pace of technological advancement demands nothing less from industry leaders.Our efforts are already yielding meaningful results. The strategic wins of 2024—such as partnerships with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Frontgrade Gaisler, and our collaborative efforts with companies such as Onsor and Chelpis are just the beginning.
Page | 4These victories showcase BrainChip’s increasing momentum and provide a strong platform for our future growth.When I look at the enhanced breadth of our product portfolio, our well-defined and ambitious roadmap ahead, the calibre of our commercial successes, and the depth of our industry collaborations, my confidence in BrainChip’s trajectory has never been stronger. I firmly believe these elements position us to achieve sustainable revenue growth and establish ourselves as a dominant force in Edge AI for years to come.While our journey has not been without challenges or delays, and has taken longer than I expected, I am resolute in my conviction that the decisions we have made, and the actions we continue to take, are paving the way for BrainChip to thrive as a long-term market leader.As we step into 2025, our focus will be laser-sharp on four critical objectives: •Drive focused and agile innovation throughout the product development process to enhance our product portfolio; •Expand our marketing efforts to project a clear image of our innovation, capabilities and strengths; •Improve our Investor Relations to give stakeholders clear, transparent, and top-tier communication that reflects our commitment to shareholder engagement; and•Secure larger and more commercial wins to cement our market leadership in the Edge AI segment.Before diving into the specifics of how we will achieve these goals, I want to take a moment to reflect on the market we serve. Understanding its dynamic nature and opportunities is essential to appreciating the progress we have made and the strategic direction we are taking. The Edge AI Market: A Catalyst for InnovationAt last year’s AGM, I highlighted the emergence of Generative AI and its gradual transition from the data centre to the Edge. Over the past year, this shift has accelerated at an unprecedented rate, fuelled by the demand for greater business value, reduced latency, and cost efficiencies offered by Edge devices. Large Language Models (LLMs), the cornerstone of Generative AI, are increasingly being optimised for Edge deployment. Innovative companies are frequently announcing breakthroughs in Edge-compatible LLMs, addressing market needs with agility and foresight. BrainChip is at the forefront of this innovation.Advanced model training techniques, such as distillation, have emerged as game-changers in this landscape. Pioneered by organisations such as DeepSeek, these techniques enable the transformation of large, data-centre-based LLMs into
Page | 5streamlined, Edge-ready models. This evolution is reshaping possibilities, enabling businesses to capitalise on the power of AI while overcoming constraints.In parallel, awareness and recognition of State-Space Models (SSMs), a core strength of BrainChip’s with our TENNs technology, have significantly grown. Industry leaders such as NVIDIA and Tencent have demonstrated their commitment to SSMs with notable advancements. Examples are NVIDIA’s endorsement of SSMs and Tencent’s release of Hunyuan-11, an enterprise scale LLM. These developments validate the compelling advantages of SSMs over traditional Transformer models, particularly for Generative AI on the Edge. We are confident that SSMs will become the preferred model type in this dynamic domain.Establishing leadership in SSMs for Edge applications is fundamental to BrainChip’s vision. By harnessing this transformative technology, we are poised to redefine possibilities and cement our position as trailblazers in Edge AI innovation.The Year in ReviewThis past year has been a transformative one for BrainChip, marked by remarkable progress and groundbreaking technological advancements. As Dr Tapson emphasised in the earlier session today, we have made great strides in our Akida design work. With a steadfast commitment to innovation, we elevated the Akida 2.0 platform to enrich its functionality through strong partnerships and collaborative dialogues. In response to the rapid evolution of the Artificial Intelligence industry, our product and engineering teams took decisive action, ensuring swift, impactful releases. Our Akida Generation 2 platform stands as a game-changing enhancement to its predecessor, delivering unparalleled power and performance while supporting a larger range of industry models. This leap forward positions us as an industry leader, ready to meet the accelerating pace at which new AI models are developed.The innovations embedded in Akida Generation 2—such as long-range skip connections and programmable activation functions—have unlocked the potential to address an ever-widening spectrum of use cases. We have adapted to meet the shifting demands of the market, guided by invaluable insights from customer interactions. To that end, I initiated a focused effort to supercharge our MetaTF framework, simplifying and expediting the characterisation of customer models and migrating them to the Akida design. Our software team has embraced the ambitious goal of delivering a seamless, intuitive, and pleasant experience for our customers—a hallmark of excellence we strive for.The Future is TENNs, our advanced State Space Model. Last year, we introduced you to Temporal Event-based Neural Networks (TENNs), our proprietary State Space Model (SSM), and its revolutionary potential. Over the past year, BrainChip has taken bold steps to commercialise and solidify the TENNs algorithm and models, securing a competitive edge for the company.
Page | 6Our achievements in this area speak volumes:•We secured four new patents, filed 16 additional patents (8 derivatives and 12 new topics).•We began the development and started to release the first wave of 12 TENNs models with more on the horizon.•We published results, released practical techniques for development, and gave impactful speeches about TENNs in places such as
The International Conference of Learning Representations (ICLR), one of the most prestigious ML conferences in the world, where we presented TENNs State Space Modelling with Optimal Tensor Contractions. oInterspeech, where we presented real-time speech enhancements on raw signals with Deep State Space Modelling. oIEEE/Conference on computer vision and pattern recognition, showcasing cutting-edge advancements in computer vision.oEmbedded Vision Summit, Edge AI Foundation summits, and the annual AI Hardware and Edge Summit where we unveiled our latest TENNs demos featuring an appliance LLM. These milestones reaffirm our leadership in the AI and machine learning space, showcasing the practical power of TENNs through published results, and presented groundbreaking techniques in Edge AI.Breaking New Ground in Sales and MarketingOn the sales and marketing front, the seeds we have planted are beginning to bear fruit. Notable milestones include a pivotal win at the Air Force Research Labs, which underscores the robustness of our TENNs algorithm, and the Frontgrade-Geisler GRAIN SOC integration of Akida IP for space applications, set to begin sampling silicon later this year.Strategic collaborations, such as our partnership with Onsor to enable seizure prediction glasses that use Akida, and proof-of-concept projects with industry leaders like Bascom Hunter, EDGX, Airbus, and Chelpis, hold the promise of blossoming into high-value engagements. Additionally, our intensified efforts in winning U.S. government business, with several proposals submitted monthly, position us for greater success.Expanding Our Patent PortfolioInnovation and intellectual property remain at the heart of our strategy. Over the past year, we filed 16 additional patent applications, bringing our total portfolio to an impressive 54 patents—all while reducing filing costs by 30%. This achievement reflectsPage | 7our unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries and safeguarding our leadership position. These accomplishments are a testament to our vision, resilience, and drive to lead the industry. Together, we are building a future defined by innovation, excellence, and limitless possibilities. We move forward with pride, knowing that we are shaping the world of tomorrow.Our Focus Until the Next AGM: Driving Success and Achieving ExcellenceAs we look ahead, my foremost priority is clear: to significantly increase both the rate and value of contract closures compared to 2024, with a broader product range and an increased marketing effort. With a rapidly growing pipeline of opportunities, we are positioned to achieve higher revenue goals in 2025 and 2026. These opportunities, which include use cases for LLMs, end-to-end audio, and object detection, hold great promise. With our enhanced Akida designs, strengthened software stack, and an expanded range of supported models, we are more prepared than ever to deliver on these ambitions.At the heart of this strategy is a customer-centric culture that we have embraced across the company. Every department is now aligned with the principle that nothing is more important than addressing the needs of our potential customers, ensuring that we respond swiftly, effectively, and with purpose. Before our next AGM, our technical teams will achieve a groundbreaking milestone: the launch of the industry’s first AI hardware accelerator for State-Space Models (SSMs), coupled with a suite of TENNs models tailored to the most common use cases. A lot of work has already been done in this area, and a prototype has been demonstrated to potential customers. The prototype has shown unmatched performance, and further innovation will cement BrainChip’s differentiated leadership position in this market.Additionally, we are developing our Next Generation Akida IP architecture- Akida 3, designed with flexibility and programmability at its core. This forward-looking approach ensures that we are future-proofing our technology for as yet unknown model types and challenges to come.You will also see a heightened commitment to marketing and outreach. We are amplifying our efforts to engage with the developer community and industry stakeholders. Shortly after the AGM, we will unveil a dynamic new version of the brainchip.com website, building on the success of our current site. This will be followed by the launch of a dedicated, developer-focused companion site later this year. We will expand our presence at events, increase interviews and demand-generation campaigns, and strengthen our thought-leadership in publications and online platforms, aimed at forging more meaningful engagements and relationships.
Page | 8 Closing Remarks:In the rapidly evolving Edge AI market, the transformation over the past few years has been extraordinary. What began as a space with simple solutions implemented by a few players has become a dynamic industry demanding complex, high-performance solutions across numerous sectors.As Dr Tapson and I have outlined, we have taken deliberate and decisive steps to position BrainChip as a leader in this evolving environment. The work we have done, and continue to do, is strengthening the foundation for us to thrive amid these industry changes.Make no mistake: 2025 is the most pivotal year in our company’s history. The entire BrainChip team is operating with a sense of urgency, keenly aware of the importance of securing more, and higher value, wins this year.We are beginning to see the fruits of our labour with critical commercial successes, key collaborations, and a promising pipeline. Our progress is a testament to the soundness of our strategy and our unwavering commitment to generating sustainable, meaningful revenue streams.Lastly, as we look to the future, I firmly believe the industry will consolidate to a handful of leading-E dge AI providers, including BrainChip. Each commercial win, and each product innovation strengthens our position and brings us closer to this vision.We are resolutely focused on achieving this vision. Thank you for your continued support and trust in our mission. Now, let me turn the meeting back to the Chairman. -END -
DaBenjamins
Regular
Thanks for the comments all and those who attended.
Was there any chat around staff numbers and the significant uptick in available roles.
Was there any chat around staff numbers and the significant uptick in available roles.
White Horse
Regular
Never dismiss the military. They provide validation of the product.
If anyone is qualified to perfect a VR visual product for the Military, it's Palmer Luckey.
He was Oculus. He was bought out by Meta, for $2.3 billion dollars for something he invented in his garage.
Anduril took over from Microsoft business with the military's blessing.
If Anduril are interested in our product then we are on a good thing.
Not just for VR goggles. Check out their other products, there are all sorts of avenues for use of our products.
Pom down under
Top 20
Fair call but he could at least practice it at least once beforehand.
White Horse
Regular
Hi DB,
Nothing mentioned about staff numbers, or roles.
Pom down under
Top 20
I can’t work out as they said they had to come out quick with the announcement as there might have been a leak, then they contradicted themselves by saying they had never discussed a possible relocate. I’m probably wrong if anyone wants to correct me.
Pom down under
Top 20
No one asked that’s why.
Pom down under
Top 20
Beat me to it Bravo!
Anduril to Acquire Klas to Build the Future of Tactical Compute and Communications
Transforming US & allied military capabilities with advanced technology.
Getupthere
Regular
Well we all got our answer today.
The Pope
Regular
Yes I know but I’m not going into anymore what he said to me at last AGM before the AGM started.
Wouldn’t have responded earlier but been reading through 10 plus pages of amusing stuff today on TSE
BTW, do we have to call you "Your Donaldness" now?
Frangipani
Top 20
Personally, I am not at all keen for BrainChip to partner with Anduril, due to Palmer Luckey’s long-standing support for Trump, whom I despise.
I just wanted to share, though, that a former BrainChip employee, Thao Tran, has been working for Anduril since February.
Mind you, this reveal doesn’t necessarily mean there has to be some sort of engagement between the two companies. I’ve been checking in on Thao Tran’s LinkedIn profile from time to time ever since I had noticed a green “Open to Work” circle around his profile pic. So I strongly doubt he was delegated by our company to work for Anduril behind an NDA (as I’m sure some forum users are immediately gonna try to spin it).
More likely, Thao Tran - like a number of other employees at the BrainChip Laguna Hills office in recent months - decided it was time for a change. Of course we can only speculate about the individual reasons why they left our company, but if you ask me, somebody who is totally happy with their current job for a company that describes itself as “the worldwide leader in edge AI on-chip processing and learning” and/or the workplace environment wouldn’t usually publicly announce on LinkedIn to be “Open to Work”. And the way I see it, we’ve had plenty of LinkedIn comments by ex-BrainChip employees that hint at there being something amiss.
Anyway, three months ago, I noticed that the green circle around the profile pic had suddenly gone and that the BrainChip logo was greyed out, even though it still listed our company as Thao Tran’s current employer at the time (screenshot taken on 4 February):
A month later, I noticed Thao Tran’s LinkedIn profile said he was now working as a Test Engineer for a “A Defense Company” (screenshot taken 5 March):
And when I checked back just now, I saw that the new employer has meanwhile been revealed to be Anduril.
www.linkedin.com
I just wanted to share, though, that a former BrainChip employee, Thao Tran, has been working for Anduril since February.
Mind you, this reveal doesn’t necessarily mean there has to be some sort of engagement between the two companies. I’ve been checking in on Thao Tran’s LinkedIn profile from time to time ever since I had noticed a green “Open to Work” circle around his profile pic. So I strongly doubt he was delegated by our company to work for Anduril behind an NDA (as I’m sure some forum users are immediately gonna try to spin it).
More likely, Thao Tran - like a number of other employees at the BrainChip Laguna Hills office in recent months - decided it was time for a change. Of course we can only speculate about the individual reasons why they left our company, but if you ask me, somebody who is totally happy with their current job for a company that describes itself as “the worldwide leader in edge AI on-chip processing and learning” and/or the workplace environment wouldn’t usually publicly announce on LinkedIn to be “Open to Work”. And the way I see it, we’ve had plenty of LinkedIn comments by ex-BrainChip employees that hint at there being something amiss.
Anyway, three months ago, I noticed that the green circle around the profile pic had suddenly gone and that the BrainChip logo was greyed out, even though it still listed our company as Thao Tran’s current employer at the time (screenshot taken on 4 February):
A month later, I noticed Thao Tran’s LinkedIn profile said he was now working as a Test Engineer for a “A Defense Company” (screenshot taken 5 March):
And when I checked back just now, I saw that the new employer has meanwhile been revealed to be Anduril.
THAO TRAN - Anduril Industries | LinkedIn
Experience: Anduril Industries · Education: DeVry Institute of Technology · Location: Westminster · 74 connections on LinkedIn. View THAO TRAN’s profile on LinkedIn, a professional community of 1 billion members.
Last edited:
Frangipani
Top 20
Be careful what you wish for:
“Even amid a rightward turn for the tech industry, Anduril stands out for its MAGA-alignment and closeness to the Trump administration of its top executives and investors.”
theintercept.com
Sam Biddle
May 1 2025, 4:30 p.m.
Share
The logo of Anduril Industries, the American defense technology company, at a conference in Australia on March 25, 2025. Photo: Alexander Bogatyrev/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
TRUMP’S NOMINEE FOR under secretary of the Army, Michael Obadal, retired from a career in the Army in 2023, then spent the past two years working for Anduril, the ascendant arms maker with billions of dollars in Army contracts.
If confirmed to the Pentagon post — often described as the “chief operating officer” position at the largest branch of the U.S. military — Obadal plans to keep his stock in Anduril, according to an ethics disclosure reviewed by The Intercept.
“This is unheard of for a presidential appointee in the Defense Department to retain a financial interest in a defense contractor,” said Richard Painter, the top White House ethics lawyer during the George W. Bush administration. Painter said that while the arrangement may not be illegal, it certainly creates the appearance of a conflict of interest. Under the norms of prior administrations, Painter said, “nobody at upper echelons of the Pentagon would be getting anywhere near contracts if he’s sitting on a pile of defense contractor stock.”
Obadal has been a senior director at Anduril since 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile, following a nearly 30-year career in the U.S. Army. While the revolving door between the Pentagon and defense industry is as old as both of those institutions, federal law and ethical norms require employees of the executive branch to unload financial interests and relationships that might create a conflict of interest in the course of their duties.
Obadal’s April 11 financial disclosure letter, filed with the Office of Government Ethics, states “Upon confirmation, I will resign from my position as Senior Director at Anduril Industries” and forfeit his right to unvested stock options. But crucially, Obadal says he will retain his restricted stock units that have already vested — i.e., Anduril stock he already owns. That means he will continue to own a piece of the company, whose valuation has reportedly increased from $8.5 billion when Obadal joined to $28 billion today on the strength of its military contracts, and stands to materially benefit from anything that helps Anduril.
In his ethics letter, Obadal says he “will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that to my knowledge has a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of Anduril Industries” — unless he’s given permission by his boss, the secretary of the Army.
Don Fox, former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics, told The Intercept Obadal’s Anduril shares could pose a clear conflict of interest if he is confirmed. “The general reason an appointee would be allowed to maintain a potentially conflicting interest is because divestiture is either not possible or highly impractical.” Anduril is privately held, meaning shares in the company can’t be quickly disposed of on the stock market.
But Painter, the Bush-era ethics lawyer, suggests that Obadal could liquidate his stake in Anduril through the lively secondary market in its shares. “In the Bush years, we’d just say ‘You’re not going to the Pentagon,” said Painter.
Fox said that if Obadal adheres to what’s in his ethics agreement and recuses himself from anything that touches Anduril, he will stay in compliance with federal law. “That’s going to be a pretty broad recusal,” added Painter, who speculated, “He’s going to have to recuse from any weapons systems that might use [Anduril] equipment, anything having to do with contracts, even competitor companies.”
Fox, who spent decades as a lawyer at the Air Force and Navy, speculated that a vast recusal from budgetary matters “is feasible, but he’s going to have to be really scrupulous about it,” to the point of literally leaving the room whenever Anduril, its capabilities, or those of its competitors are discussed. “Once we get into areas that involve hardware and software, I’d say don’t even be in the room,” he said. “At a really senior level, people are not only looking for what you say but what you don’t say,” Fox added. “It poses a significant risk to him personally of crossing that line, no matter how scrupulous he may be.”
William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft who focuses on the U.S. arms industry, describes the situation as “the very definition of a conflict of interest” given the vast business interests between Obadal’s current and new employer. “The fact that the administration and the Congress have accepted this arrangement is a commentary on the sad state of ethics in Washington — an indication that too many of our elected officials won’t even try to take steps to make it harder to engage in corrupt practices,” Hartung added.
AS ITS SECOND-HIGHEST ranking civilian at the Army, Obadal will have considerable sway over what weapons the Army purchases, what technologies it prioritizes, and when and how the U.S. wages war. Having a former employee and current shareholder in that position may prove lucrative for Anduril as the company seeks to add to its billions of dollars of federal contracts.
In the past year alone, during Obadal’s time at the company, Anduril announced it was taking over the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System, a troubled $22 billion program intended to provide soldiers with augmented reality goggles and selling the Army components for its rocket artillery systems and a fleet of miniature “Ghost-X” helicopter drones. Anduril is also working on the Army’s TITAN system, a truck-mounted sensor suite, and an experimental U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle program.
Last year, DefenseOne reported that the Army’s “unfunded priorities” tech wishlist included “$4.5 million in research and development for Anduril’s Roadrunner-M drone interceptor.” Obadal described that jet-powered bomb drone in a LinkedIn post as “revolutionary.”
The White House declined to comment on the ethics agreement and referred The Intercept to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which also declined to comment and referred The Intercept to the Army, which referred The Intercept back to the White House. Neither Anduril nor Obadal responded to a request for comment.
Even amid a rightward turn for the tech industry, Anduril stands out for its MAGA-alignment and closeness to the Trump administration of its top executives and investors.
In December, the New York Times reported Trump’s transition team offices were “crawling with executives from defense tech firms with close ties to Mr. Trump’s orbit,” including Anduril. The month before, Anduril co-founder and longtime Trump booster Palmer Luckey told Bloomberg he was already “in touch” with the incoming administration about impending nominees: “I don’t want to throw any (names) out there because I would be happy with all of them.”
“Even amid a rightward turn for the tech industry, Anduril stands out for its MAGA-alignment and closeness to the Trump administration of its top executives and investors.”
Trump's Pick for a Top Army Job Works at a Weapons Company — And Won't Give Up His Stock
Mike Obadal’s plan to keep his stock in Anduril if nominated as under secretary of the Army is a blatant conflict of interest, experts say.
theintercept.com
TRUMP’S PICK FOR A TOP ARMY JOB WORKS AT A WEAPONS COMPANY — AND WON’T GIVE UP HIS STOCK
Mike Obadal’s plan to keep his stock in Anduril if nominated as under secretary of the Army is a blatant conflict of interest, experts say.Sam Biddle
May 1 2025, 4:30 p.m.
Share
The logo of Anduril Industries, the American defense technology company, at a conference in Australia on March 25, 2025. Photo: Alexander Bogatyrev/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
TRUMP’S NOMINEE FOR under secretary of the Army, Michael Obadal, retired from a career in the Army in 2023, then spent the past two years working for Anduril, the ascendant arms maker with billions of dollars in Army contracts.
If confirmed to the Pentagon post — often described as the “chief operating officer” position at the largest branch of the U.S. military — Obadal plans to keep his stock in Anduril, according to an ethics disclosure reviewed by The Intercept.
“This is unheard of for a presidential appointee in the Defense Department to retain a financial interest in a defense contractor,” said Richard Painter, the top White House ethics lawyer during the George W. Bush administration. Painter said that while the arrangement may not be illegal, it certainly creates the appearance of a conflict of interest. Under the norms of prior administrations, Painter said, “nobody at upper echelons of the Pentagon would be getting anywhere near contracts if he’s sitting on a pile of defense contractor stock.”
Obadal has been a senior director at Anduril since 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile, following a nearly 30-year career in the U.S. Army. While the revolving door between the Pentagon and defense industry is as old as both of those institutions, federal law and ethical norms require employees of the executive branch to unload financial interests and relationships that might create a conflict of interest in the course of their duties.
Obadal’s April 11 financial disclosure letter, filed with the Office of Government Ethics, states “Upon confirmation, I will resign from my position as Senior Director at Anduril Industries” and forfeit his right to unvested stock options. But crucially, Obadal says he will retain his restricted stock units that have already vested — i.e., Anduril stock he already owns. That means he will continue to own a piece of the company, whose valuation has reportedly increased from $8.5 billion when Obadal joined to $28 billion today on the strength of its military contracts, and stands to materially benefit from anything that helps Anduril.
In his ethics letter, Obadal says he “will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that to my knowledge has a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of Anduril Industries” — unless he’s given permission by his boss, the secretary of the Army.
Don Fox, former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics, told The Intercept Obadal’s Anduril shares could pose a clear conflict of interest if he is confirmed. “The general reason an appointee would be allowed to maintain a potentially conflicting interest is because divestiture is either not possible or highly impractical.” Anduril is privately held, meaning shares in the company can’t be quickly disposed of on the stock market.
But Painter, the Bush-era ethics lawyer, suggests that Obadal could liquidate his stake in Anduril through the lively secondary market in its shares. “In the Bush years, we’d just say ‘You’re not going to the Pentagon,” said Painter.
Fox said that if Obadal adheres to what’s in his ethics agreement and recuses himself from anything that touches Anduril, he will stay in compliance with federal law. “That’s going to be a pretty broad recusal,” added Painter, who speculated, “He’s going to have to recuse from any weapons systems that might use [Anduril] equipment, anything having to do with contracts, even competitor companies.”
Fox, who spent decades as a lawyer at the Air Force and Navy, speculated that a vast recusal from budgetary matters “is feasible, but he’s going to have to be really scrupulous about it,” to the point of literally leaving the room whenever Anduril, its capabilities, or those of its competitors are discussed. “Once we get into areas that involve hardware and software, I’d say don’t even be in the room,” he said. “At a really senior level, people are not only looking for what you say but what you don’t say,” Fox added. “It poses a significant risk to him personally of crossing that line, no matter how scrupulous he may be.”
William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft who focuses on the U.S. arms industry, describes the situation as “the very definition of a conflict of interest” given the vast business interests between Obadal’s current and new employer. “The fact that the administration and the Congress have accepted this arrangement is a commentary on the sad state of ethics in Washington — an indication that too many of our elected officials won’t even try to take steps to make it harder to engage in corrupt practices,” Hartung added.
AS ITS SECOND-HIGHEST ranking civilian at the Army, Obadal will have considerable sway over what weapons the Army purchases, what technologies it prioritizes, and when and how the U.S. wages war. Having a former employee and current shareholder in that position may prove lucrative for Anduril as the company seeks to add to its billions of dollars of federal contracts.
In the past year alone, during Obadal’s time at the company, Anduril announced it was taking over the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System, a troubled $22 billion program intended to provide soldiers with augmented reality goggles and selling the Army components for its rocket artillery systems and a fleet of miniature “Ghost-X” helicopter drones. Anduril is also working on the Army’s TITAN system, a truck-mounted sensor suite, and an experimental U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle program.
Last year, DefenseOne reported that the Army’s “unfunded priorities” tech wishlist included “$4.5 million in research and development for Anduril’s Roadrunner-M drone interceptor.” Obadal described that jet-powered bomb drone in a LinkedIn post as “revolutionary.”
The White House declined to comment on the ethics agreement and referred The Intercept to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, which also declined to comment and referred The Intercept to the Army, which referred The Intercept back to the White House. Neither Anduril nor Obadal responded to a request for comment.
Even amid a rightward turn for the tech industry, Anduril stands out for its MAGA-alignment and closeness to the Trump administration of its top executives and investors.
In December, the New York Times reported Trump’s transition team offices were “crawling with executives from defense tech firms with close ties to Mr. Trump’s orbit,” including Anduril. The month before, Anduril co-founder and longtime Trump booster Palmer Luckey told Bloomberg he was already “in touch” with the incoming administration about impending nominees: “I don’t want to throw any (names) out there because I would be happy with all of them.”
Frangipani
Top 20
Haven’t come across any concrete links, but here is an observation that may be of interest:
A couple of months ago, I noticed that Steve Harbour had left Southwest Research Institute aka SwRI (which has been closely collaborating with Intel on neuromorphic research for years) to become Director of AI Hardware Research at Parallax Advanced Research, a non-profit research institute headquartered in Dayton, OH that describes its purpose as “Solving critical challenges for the Nation's security and prosperity.”
He has since liked a few LinkedIn posts by BrainChip, if I remember correctly (sorry, don’t have the time right now to search for them).
This may not mean anything (especially given he seems to be quite a prolific liker in general), but who knows…
Definitely good to know that he is aware of our company and its technology.
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Home | Parallax Research
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute. We solve critical challenges for the Nation's security and prosperity. We do this by focusing on creating impact by accelerating investments in the U.S. science and technology enterprise.parallaxresearch.org
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In this 29 April article about the Future of Neuromorphic AI in Electronic Warfare, Steven Harbour not only confirms a partnership between Parallax Advanced Research and Intel (no surprise here, as he already used to collaborate with them closely for years while at SwRI), but also one between Parallax Advanced Research and BrainChip:
Parallax Advanced Research and the Future of Neuromorphic Artificial Intelligence in Electronic Warfare
Published on
Apr 29, 2025
The convergence of artificial intelligence and defense technologies is poised to redefine the future of electronic warfare (EW). This shift, driven by third-generation AI techniques like spiking neural networks (SNN) and neuromorphic research, represents a critical step forward in equipping the U.S. military with innovative and adaptable solutions. We spoke with Dr. Steven Harbour, Parallax Advanced Research director of AI Hardware Research and a leading expert in neuromorphic research, to explore how his team is advancing AI capabilities and addressing emerging challenges in defense.
Parallax Advanced Research and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) EW Team; left to right: Mr. Justin S. Tieman, Principal Engineer, SwRI; Mr. Keith G. Dufford, Senior Program Manager, SwRI; Mr. David A. Brown, Institute Engineer; and Director AI Hardware Research and Neuromorphic Center of Excellence, Parallax; Dr. Steven D. Harbour
Exploring AI’s Next Frontier
Traditional AI excels in tasks it has been trained on, demonstrating precision in recognizing familiar patterns and processing expected queries. However, Harbour highlights a significant limitation: AI's brittleness when confronted with the unexpected.
Humans, on the other hand, adapt to the unknown through cognitive problem-solving, a capability that AI systems must emulate to address future challenges effectively.
SNNs, inspired by the human brain’s functionality, offer a promising solution. Unlike traditional feedforward neural networks rooted in inferential statistics, SNNs excel in rapid decision-making under uncertainty, making them particularly suited for dynamic environments like electronic warfare.
Scaling Neuromorphic Systems
Parallax is at the forefront of advancing third-generation AI algorithms, partnering with Intel and Brainchip to develop scalable neuromorphic hardware.In terms of deployment, neuromorphic processors can be integrated into existing electronic countermeasure (ECM) pods, widely used in both Air Force and Navy operations. These pods, which are part of strike packages including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, offer a clear pathway for fielding these advanced systems across the Department of Defense (DoD).
The Role of Partnerships in Shaping AI Research
Collaboration plays a pivotal role in advancing neuromorphic research. Parallax, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, benefits from proximity to leading institutions like the University of Dayton and the University of Cincinnati. Harbour’s connections with researchers like Professors Dr. Tarek Taha, Dr. Chris Yakopcic, and Dr. Vijayan K. Asari University of Dayton and Dr. Kelly Cohen an Endowed Chair and Lab Director at the University of Cincinnati have led to innovative projects, including combining “fuzzy” logic with Neuromorphic SNNs to enhance AI decision-making.Parallax’s independent research efforts are further bolstered by partnerships with institutions like Intel and Brainchip, ensuring access to cutting-edge neuromorphic technologies. These collaborations not only drive technological innovation but also foster a thriving research ecosystem essential for addressing the unique challenges of EW.
Evolving Applications in Defense Technologies
Over the next few years, an AFLCMC initiative will focus on developing and deploying third-generation AI algorithms on neuromorphic platforms. According to Harbour, the initiative aims to create “fieldable systems that can operate effectively in air, sea, land, and space environments.” This vision extends to supporting broader DoD efforts, including AFRL’s test facilities and ongoing collaboration with Southwest Research Institute.The adaptability of these systems will be critical for countering emerging threats. Harbour envisions a future where AI-powered EW solutions can address the unknown, enhancing situation awareness and enabling rapid response in high-stakes scenarios.
AI and the Future of EW
As neuromorphic research progresses, its impact on EW solutions for the U.S. military is undeniable. From enhancing strike packages to integrating AI into naval, land, and space operations, the potential applications are vast. Harbour emphasizes the importance of continued innovation and collaboration:Through its pioneering work in AI and defense technologies, Parallax is shaping a future where adaptability and innovation are the cornerstones of national security. By bridging the gap between academic research and practical deployment, the team is ensuring that the U.S. military remains at the cutting edge of electronic warfare capabilities.
###
About Parallax Advanced Research & The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI)
Parallax is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and OAI formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. OAI plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations, and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects.
SERA2g
Founding Member
Incorrect.
I asked the question about whether the $9m is net of costs or gross revenue. My question couldn't have been more clear but I am an accountant and Antonio is not.
I expected him to direct the question to Ken but he chose not too which then resulted in the question having to be repeated so he could understand.
He gave the example that if they had sales of $2m and had direct costs of $1.9m then it would count as $100k in bookings.
This is what we as shareholders want because bookings being gross revenue means $9m in revenue is all that is required and it's therefore lot easier for Sean to get his RSU's and means lower revenue outcome.
If it's based on net then revenue will need to be higher than $9m, and depending on gross margins, could need to be several million higher. In the case of the AFRL contract, it was $1.8m revenue and $800k in subcontractor costs, meaning a gross profit of $1m and gross profit margin of 44.44%
If every deal was based on the same margin they'd need $16.2m in bookings to meet $9m in gross profit and therefore the bookings target.
The only thing I would note is that I would assume most of our deals will probably just have a contract sale amount that is both the gross and net amount. AFRL contract is as far as I'm aware the first one where we had the on cost of a subcontractor to help deliver the project, so it would be misleading to say we need $16.2m to get the $9m, but you get the picture.
Last thing I'd want to happen is they win a $9m contract, pay Sean his RSU's and then we have to fork out (using 44.44% margin) $4m in subcontractor fees. I would be livid if the true value of the deal was only $5m to Brainchip yet Sean's targets were considered met.
Good question on the currency, I didn't think to ask that but would assume USD. If I remember tomorrow I will ask Ken.
Last edited:
Frangipani
Top 20
In this 29 April article about the Future of Neuromorphic AI in Electronic Warfare, Steven Harbour not only confirms a partnership between Parallax Advanced Research and Intel (no surprise here, as he already used to collaborate with them closely for years while at SwRI), but also one between Parallax Advanced Research and BrainChip:
Parallax Advanced Research and the Future of Neuromorphic Artificial Intelligence in Electronic Warfare
Published on
Apr 29, 2025
The convergence of artificial intelligence and defense technologies is poised to redefine the future of electronic warfare (EW). This shift, driven by third-generation AI techniques like spiking neural networks (SNN) and neuromorphic research, represents a critical step forward in equipping the U.S. military with innovative and adaptable solutions. We spoke with Dr. Steven Harbour, Parallax Advanced Research director of AI Hardware Research and a leading expert in neuromorphic research, to explore how his team is advancing AI capabilities and addressing emerging challenges in defense.
Parallax Advanced Research and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) EW Team; left to right: Mr. Justin S. Tieman, Principal Engineer, SwRI; Mr. Keith G. Dufford, Senior Program Manager, SwRI; Mr. David A. Brown, Institute Engineer; and Director AI Hardware Research and Neuromorphic Center of Excellence, Parallax; Dr. Steven D. Harbour
Exploring AI’s Next Frontier
Traditional AI excels in tasks it has been trained on, demonstrating precision in recognizing familiar patterns and processing expected queries. However, Harbour highlights a significant limitation: AI's brittleness when confronted with the unexpected.
Humans, on the other hand, adapt to the unknown through cognitive problem-solving, a capability that AI systems must emulate to address future challenges effectively.
SNNs, inspired by the human brain’s functionality, offer a promising solution. Unlike traditional feedforward neural networks rooted in inferential statistics, SNNs excel in rapid decision-making under uncertainty, making them particularly suited for dynamic environments like electronic warfare.
Scaling Neuromorphic Systems
Parallax is at the forefront of advancing third-generation AI algorithms, partnering with Intel and Brainchip to develop scalable neuromorphic hardware.
In terms of deployment, neuromorphic processors can be integrated into existing electronic countermeasure (ECM) pods, widely used in both Air Force and Navy operations. These pods, which are part of strike packages including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, offer a clear pathway for fielding these advanced systems across the Department of Defense (DoD).
The Role of Partnerships in Shaping AI Research
Collaboration plays a pivotal role in advancing neuromorphic research. Parallax, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, benefits from proximity to leading institutions like the University of Dayton and the University of Cincinnati. Harbour’s connections with researchers like Professors Dr. Tarek Taha, Dr. Chris Yakopcic, and Dr. Vijayan K. Asari University of Dayton and Dr. Kelly Cohen an Endowed Chair and Lab Director at the University of Cincinnati have led to innovative projects, including combining “fuzzy” logic with Neuromorphic SNNs to enhance AI decision-making.
Parallax’s independent research efforts are further bolstered by partnerships with institutions like Intel and Brainchip, ensuring access to cutting-edge neuromorphic technologies. These collaborations not only drive technological innovation but also foster a thriving research ecosystem essential for addressing the unique challenges of EW.
Evolving Applications in Defense Technologies
Over the next few years, an AFLCMC initiative will focus on developing and deploying third-generation AI algorithms on neuromorphic platforms. According to Harbour, the initiative aims to create “fieldable systems that can operate effectively in air, sea, land, and space environments.” This vision extends to supporting broader DoD efforts, including AFRL’s test facilities and ongoing collaboration with Southwest Research Institute.
The adaptability of these systems will be critical for countering emerging threats. Harbour envisions a future where AI-powered EW solutions can address the unknown, enhancing situation awareness and enabling rapid response in high-stakes scenarios.
AI and the Future of EW
As neuromorphic research progresses, its impact on EW solutions for the U.S. military is undeniable. From enhancing strike packages to integrating AI into naval, land, and space operations, the potential applications are vast. Harbour emphasizes the importance of continued innovation and collaboration:
Through its pioneering work in AI and defense technologies, Parallax is shaping a future where adaptability and innovation are the cornerstones of national security. By bridging the gap between academic research and practical deployment, the team is ensuring that the U.S. military remains at the cutting edge of electronic warfare capabilities.
###
About Parallax Advanced Research & The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI)
Parallax is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and OAI formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. OAI plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations, and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects.
Given the above confirmation by Steve Harbour that he and his neuromorphic team from Parallax Advanved Research have been exploring both Loihi and Akida, there is a good chance we might get a mention at the Space Enterprise Consortium’s Virtual Pitch Day today, where they will presenting “Neuromorphic Event-Driven IR Perception for Low Latency Missile Warning and Typing (NEDIR-MWT)”:
#parallaxresearch #neuromorphicai #opir #missilewarning… | Parallax Advanced Research
Parallax Advanced Research is Pitching at Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC) OTR Innovator NETWORX We’re proud to announce that our neuromorphic team, led by Dr. Dr. Steve Harbour, PhD , will be presenting our groundbreaking research: Neuromorphic Event-Driven IR Perception for Low-Latency...
The talk is part of the Virtual Pitch Day: AI/ML Applications to Enhance OPIR Data Processing.
I looked up OPIR:
“Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) refers to a technology that utilizes infrared sensors mounted on satellites or airborne platforms to provide continuous surveillance and monitoring of the Earth's surface.”
All the usual defence giant suspects are already working on Next-Gen OPIR…
Space Force hails progress in missile-warning satellite program
The procurement of massive satellites for missile detection is moving forward despite shift to LEO systems
spacenews.com
Space Force grants Northrop Grumman $1.8B to build missile warning birds for polar orbit - Breaking Defense
The two Northrop Grumman satellites, which will take highly elliptical orbits over the Earth's poles, are expected to be launched in 2028.
breakingdefense.com
On the Parallex Advanced Research website, there is also the following article published on 2 May about a ~USD 4 million DARPA contract awarded in mid-2023. It does not mention the use of neuromorphic technology as such, but refers to future versions of the functional prototype:
“The Parallax effort is focused on creating trustworthy AI systems that can make complex, real-time decisions in high-stakes situations— where existing AI systems may make unethical decisions or fail to decide.
Parallax worked in close collaboration with Drexel University and Knexus Research Corporation to advance human-aligned decision-making in medical triage and mass casualty care environments.”
(…) Future versions of the TAD system are expected to dramatically improve emergency medical decision-making—offering essential support in both military and civilian contexts. It could change how care is delivered when time, resources, and clarity are limited.”
Drexel University is of course also partnered with us - see the endorsement of BrainChip’s technology by Drexel University’s Anup Das that can be found on https://brainchip.com/akida-generations/:
Knexus AI - Live - Knexus AI
knexus.ai
ABOUT US
Knexus delivers AI solutions beyond-state-of-the-art.
For nearly two decades, Knexus has worked with dozens of agencies across the US Government as a trusted partner to deliver tailored solutions to mission-critical problems. With clients spanning 10+ years, the results speak for themselves as they continually return and rely on Knexus for innovative, practical solutions tailored to their problem sets.
In-the-Moment (ITM) Milestone: A New Era in Human-AI Interaction
parallaxresearch.org
In-the-Moment (ITM) Milestone: A New Era in Human-AI Interaction
Published on
May 2, 2025
From Input to Understanding
Artificial intelligence systems are typically designed to respond to specific commands. The Trustworthy Algorithmic Delegate (TAD) project, led by Parallax Advanced Research, takes this further by developing systems that align to user priorities like mission and quality of life, based on their responses to example situations. The goal is to enable AI to make autonomous decisions that align to human priorities, even when ethics and tradeoffs are unclear, and experts disagree. This is intended to increase the trustworthiness of AI decisions across a range of applications.
On July 6, 2023, Parallax Advanced Research was awarded a $4.067 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the In the Moment (ITM) initiative. The Parallax effort is focused on creating trustworthy AI systems that can make complex, real-time decisions in high-stakes situations— where existing AI systems may make unethical decisions or fail to decide.
Parallax worked in close collaboration with Drexel University and Knexus Research Corporation to advance human-aligned decision-making in medical triage and mass casualty care environments.
After months of foundational development, the TAD team has reached a significant technical milestone: transitioning from exploratory research to functional prototypes. This shift signals a pivotal moment—not only for the team, but for the future of natural human-AI collaboration.
The TAD system leverages breakthroughs in natural language processing, symbolic reasoning, and explainable case-based reasoning to create agents capable of recognizing and applying human priorities. Unlike conventional AI models that rely on statistical regularities to generate middle-of-the-road responses, TAD analyzes the context and meaning of a unique situation in terms of human viewpoints and considers what a human decision-maker would likely prioritize.
At the core of this achievement is a modular framework that translates ambiguous language into structured meaning representations. These are then grounded in real-world tasks using an expanding set of inference engines and domain-specific interpreters.
From Concept to Capability
Over the last quarter, the ITM team successfully demonstrated TAD capabilities in human-subject experiments, meeting or exceeding all DARPA metrics for success. The system demonstrated the ability to:
- Make decisions in multiple domains
- Acquire representations of human characteristics underlying their decisions
- Encourage willingness to delegate in subjects with medical expertise
What makes TAD especially transformative is its potential to redefine how humans and machines collaborate under pressure. By enabling AI systems to reason about goals, constraints, and preferences, TAD supports applications ranging from mission planning and decision support to critical care and education.
Future versions of the TAD system are expected to dramatically improve emergency medical decision-making—offering essential support in both military and civilian contexts. It could change how care is delivered when time, resources, and clarity are limited.
Project Closeout
As the TAD project concludes, the team reflects on its transition from idea to prototype and the valuable collaborations forged with government, academic, and commercial partners. These partnerships have played a pivotal role in demonstrating ITM’s potential to scale and influence the future of intelligent, trustworthy systems.
While the active research phase has ended, TAD leaves behind a flexible architecture and a robust foundation validated through real-world engagement. For those continuing the pursuit of AI that advances from mere responsiveness to genuine understanding and alignment with human values, TAD offers a compelling blueprint for what comes next.
###
About Parallax Advanced Research & The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI)
Parallax is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and OAI formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. OAI plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations, and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects.
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