The Shawn Ryan Show #258: Adam Bry — Why China Fears Skydio’s Rise in AI Drone Technology

Date: December 1, 2025
Guest: Adam Bry – CEO and Co-Founder, Skydio

Episode Overview

This episode features Shawn Ryan in conversation with Adam Bry, CEO and co-founder of Skydio, the American trailblazer in autonomous AI-powered drone technology. They discuss the evolution of drone tech, Skydio’s pivotal role across industries, the ongoing drone arms race with China, and the transformative effect of AI autonomy—especially in defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure. They dive deep into how Skydio's platforms are reshaping law enforcement, military reconnaissance, and beyond, including candid accounts from the battlefield in Ukraine and friction with China.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Skydio's Newest Tech [01:49–07:26]

• Bry demos the R10 indoor tactical drone—showcasing features such as threat detection, two-way comms, and its potential to reduce danger for law enforcement.
• Quote:
  “The general mantra is like send the robot, not the person.” — Adam Bry [02:29]

2. Broad Market Impact of Advanced Drones [06:20–08:32]

• Skydio's customers range from SWAT and police to critical infrastructure inspectors and military units.
• Bry emphasizes the importance of bringing Silicon Valley tech to “hardcore physical industries.”
• Quote:
  “We really serve the critical industries that our civilization depends on... It's an amazing set of people to get to work with that I think have historically been underserved by technology.” — Adam Bry [06:23]

3. From Childhood Passion to Billion-Dollar Company [15:15–22:19]

• Bry’s background: Grew up obsessed with flight and radio-controlled planes, which served as a foundation for drone autonomy.
• Early exposure to building/flying led to a deep, intuitive sense for flight dynamics, now embedded into Skydio’s AI.

4. Team Origins and Early Product Vision [24:54–29:40]

• Adam met his co-founders at MIT; together, they brought hardcore robotics and user-focused design together into Skydio.
• The company’s bet: “Computer vision, AI autonomy is the foundational tech layer” for democratizing drones.

5. Consumer Roots, Enterprise Explosion [29:58–37:46]

• The first Skydio product (R1) was a technical marvel but a commercial flop—too expensive, too narrowly focused.
• Shifted focus as enterprise, military, and public safety interest exploded, triggering rapid adoption.

6. Product Line and Technical Deep Dive [37:46–41:10]

• Currently three main products:
  • X10 (flagship): quadcopter with advanced sensors, used in law enforcement & utilities.
  • R10: smaller indoor drone for confined or risky environments.
  • F10 (prototype): fixed-wing, high-speed, dock-launched, for long-range, high-endurance missions.
• The X10 features a thermal camera and powerful AI running on-board for full autonomy.

7. Drones as First Responders: Real-World Impact

[44:06–48:50, 49:27–52:25]

• Automated Drones-as-First-Responder (DFR): Docks distributed across cities, e.g., on fire stations’ rooftops.

• Example (Oklahoma City): Drone quickly finds a person hit by a train, saving their life.

• Example (San Francisco): Drones track a crime spree, enabling silent, safe apprehension.

• Drones have contributed to a 30% drop in crime in San Francisco within a year ([48:54]).

• Quote:
  “Biggest change in policing since the invention of the radio because it just totally changes the nature of a first response, man.” — Adam Bry [49:25]

• Drones provide real-time situational awareness, help de-escalate situations, and even deter force use.

8. Public Adoption, Privacy, and Transparency [55:22–61:50]

• Bry acknowledges privacy concerns regarding AI-powered drones in cities but notes acceptance is high due to the visible, tangible benefits and transparency.
• Quote:
  “I actually think [drones] are one of the least invasive forms of surveillance because it’s reactive to emergencies rather than blanketing a city in cameras.” — Adam Bry [57:18]

9. Manufacturing: US-Based & National Security [64:34–68:07]

• Skydio builds drones in the US, bucking conventional Silicon Valley wisdom—seen as essential given critical infrastructure implications.
• Early attempts to outsource failed due to novel tech complexity; “pulling it in-house” allowed rapid iteration and innovation.

10. AI, Human Judgment, and Dispatch Integration [68:07–71:08]

• Autonomy is balanced with human judgment; DFR systems integrate with 911 systems but leave “dispatch” in human hands.
• AI will increasingly automate common scenarios, reserving human input for ambiguous or sensitive calls.

11. Hands-On Tech Demo [74:39–85:21]

• Live flight of the X10: the drone weaves autonomously through obstacles—Bry and Ryan both fly with ease.
• Modular attachments (speakers, spotlights, night vision); tracking and thermal imaging live demoed.
• Bry shows the “Dock” system—fully autonomous deployment and landing for scheduled or user-initiated missions.

12. F10 Fixed-Wing Prototype [91:08–94:47]

• Showcased a fixed-wing prototype with a robotic arm launching/landing from a Cybertruck, capable of 100 mph, >1 hour endurance, 40–50-mile effective radius.
• Dock system under development for persistent long-range coverage.

13. Scaling, Customer Demand, and Use Cases [97:37–112:28]

• Massive demand: public safety, utilities, retailers, property owners, military, campuses, data centers, and more.
• Docks designed for 5-year life; drones for 2–3 years under heavy use.
• Price: R10 starts at $6,000, docked solutions “tens of thousands per year,” with total solution (hardware, software, install, support).

14. Ukraine, Warfare, and Harsh Lessons [112:40–120:21]

• Ukraine Conflict: Initial Skydio drones struggled under battlefield conditions (radio jamming, GPS denial).
• Overhauled for X10 and X10D: now “battlefield-proven,” highly resistant to jamming, frequency hopping radios, vision-based navigation—deployed in Ukraine, unlike many Western drones.
• Quote:
  “We went through a philosophical shift: from Army requirements, to real user needs on the ground in Ukraine. … We want to make systems that really work.” — Adam Bry [117:57]

15. China’s Drone Dominance & Global Tech Conflict [125:11–134:35]

• China’s DJI dominates global drone hardware via government subsidy and policy—but Skydio is now a credible US challenger by focusing on AI and autonomy.

• Mounting US demand for domestic, non-Chinese drones in face of potential bans and rising national security concerns.

• Chinese government responded to Skydio’s rise with direct sanctions, supplier harassment, and attempts to undercut US supply chains.

• Quote:
  “Does it seem like a good idea to install dock drones… that ultimately are running software on the drone that is controlled by an adversary?” — Adam Bry [130:21]

• On pushback:
  “We were approached by DJI to license [our] technology… when we said no, they made it very clear they were going to try to crush us… and they basically have been since we started.” — Adam Bry [137:00]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Adam Bry on autonomy:

  “We kind of say, you know, the drone should work for the person, not the other way around. So one person should have like 5, 10, 50 drones doing useful work on their behalf.” [12:04]

• On transparency and privacy:

  “The best way to do it is through very aggressive transparency of like, here's when we're flying, here's why we're flying… Drones are visible and they get people's attention.” [57:18]

• Discussing the potential ban on DJI:

  “We are willingly importing Chinese drones right now that like are Internet connected and take instructions from the cloud. …The threat surface area… is really, really bad.” [129:57]

• On competing with China:

  “DJI was very focused on building these manually flown drones, and we felt like there was just an… autonomy presented a fundamentally new opportunity... It's just a different way of operating. … When we said no, they made it very clear they were going to try to crush us.” [137:00]

• Law enforcement impact:

  “We hear this, like, ‘game changer’. We hear that all the time from our law enforcement customers... It's the biggest change in policing since the invention of the radio.” [49:25]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction/demo of R10 drone: [01:49–05:36]
• Diverse customer base & use cases: [05:36–08:32]
• Adam Bry’s personal history & early team: [15:13–29:40]
• Skydio product evolution: [29:40–41:10]
• Drone as First Responder, examples: [44:06–52:25]
• Tech transparency & public acceptance: [55:22–61:50]
• US-based manufacturing focus: [64:34–68:07]
• Hands-on DFR/Autonomy demo: [74:39–85:21]
• F10 fixed-wing, robotic launch/land: [91:08–94:47]
• Cost, lifetime, and scaling challenges: [97:37–112:28]
• Ukraine war lessons & military contrast: [112:40–120:21]
• China tech arms race & security: [125:11–137:00]

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, direct, often humorous (including jabs about shooting drones), but grounded with technical details and anecdotes. Adam Bry is earnest, passionate, and transparent—even about Skydio’s past missteps. Shawn Ryan brings a practical, operator’s curiosity tied to his experience in special operations.

Wrap-Up

Adam Bry and Skydio are at the vanguard of reshaping not just the drone industry, but the very nature of public safety, military operations, and infrastructure management—using AI and domestic innovation to challenge Chinese-dominated markets. The conversation leaves no doubt that autonomous robotics are rapidly moving from science fiction to indispensable real-world superpower.