Today I am speaking with Adam Bry, CEO of Skydio, the top American producer of autonomous drones. Before recording this episode I remotely piloted one of Skydio drones in the Bay Area using Adam laptop from our podcast studio in New York and guided an indoor drone through our office space. The complete video is available on our YouTube channel.

Adam and I discussed Skydio strong emphasis on the enterprise sector. I inquired extensively about collaborations with law enforcement and the armed forces, yet he noted that many clients are utility firms employing drones for remote inspection of vital infrastructure in previously impossible manners.

That represents a substantial market previously addressed by low-cost consumer drones, products that have largely vanished from the US market because most originated in China and the prior administration prohibited foreign-made drones late last year. Inexpensive DJI models disappeared suddenly, positioning higher-priced Skydio offerings as the primary option.

Adam and I examined this situation along with the challenges of producing sophisticated devices such as drones within the United States. We also covered Skydio military projects and how its AI applications align with defense requirements. I sought clarity on where Adam draws boundaries amid heightened debate over military AI uses.

This conversation covers extensive ground. Most notably it was encouraging to hear Adam describe AI as a means to expand the Skydio workforce during company growth. I also had the opportunity to operate the drones, which proved highly engaging.

Here is Adam Bry, CEO of Skydio.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Adam Bry, you are the co-founder and CEO of Skydio. Welcome to Decoder.

I am very pleased to join you.

I am eager to discuss your work. We recently demonstrated remote operation of an X10 drone. I have several follow-up questions about that experience, which was quite revealing.

The drone sector is undergoing rapid transformation. Policies exclude certain competitors from the market. Your efforts involve autonomy and partnerships with governments and militaries globally. Drone technology overall appears poised for further advancement. There is much to explore.

Let us begin with fundamentals. Unless one follows drones closely Skydio may not be familiar. Please describe the company and its origins.

We are the largest US drone manufacturer. Our drones function as flying sensor platforms. Founded in 2014 we now support critical industries essential to society. Clients include public safety agencies, military organizations, energy utilities, construction firms, transportation departments, and security groups.

All customers share a need for demanding and often hazardous physical operations where precise sensor placement yields superior information and alters results. We provide complete solutions in which the drone is central yet software, autonomy, integrations, and industry-specific workflows built around drone functions represent the true value.

We have reached an exciting phase where years of development now deliver scalable and meaningful results.