In this episode of Boardroom Statecraft, Ross Hill and Dr Treston Wheat continue their series on the Top 10 Geopolitical Risks for Businesses in 2026 with Risk #9. They examine how the rapid rise and proliferation of autonomous weapons systems – especially cheap, adaptable drones – is reshaping modern warfare and opening up a new class of risks for companies, cities and critical infrastructure. Drawing on case studies from Ukraine, Russia, Armenia–Azerbaijan and India–Pakistan, they explore how battlefield innovation around “human machine platoons” and low-cost drones will eventually diffuse into the hands of non state actors, organised crime groups and terrorists. The conversation then turns to the constraints on corporate counter-drone activity, the lagging legal environment, and how emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles and AI-enabled cyber attacks could change both the threat landscape and the expectations placed on corporate security teams.Music for this episode is by @barelysentient on Suno.