In a world increasingly defined by rapid technological advancements and complex global threats, OODAcon 2024 offered a roadmap for navigating uncertainty. From China’s digital colonialism to the disruptive potential of blockchain and the integration of AI in cybersecurity, the conference underscored the imperative for strategic foresight, cross-domain collaboration, and bold action. The conference’s theme – “Convergence” – was chosen to suggest pushing the envelope of innovation and collaboration.

Exclusive access for OODA Network Members to OODAcon 2024 recordings is available here.

The full agenda for OODacon 2024 can be found here: Welcome to OODAcon 2024: Final Agenda and Event Details. It includes a full description of each session, expanded speaker bios (with links to current projects and articles about the speakers), and additional OODA Loop resources on the theme of each panel.

Session Summaries

Bootstrapping the Future:  Overall Themes from OODAcon 2024

We kick off our annual series of expanded session summaries from OODAcon 2024 (find the full agenda here), where the conference day began – on Wednesday, November 6th – with the keynote presentation from Matt Devost, CEO and Co-founder of OODA on “Bootstrapping the Future”. Matt welcomed attendees and set the stage for the day and the conference’s theme – “Convergence” – to push the envelope of innovation and collaboration.

Beyond Human Limits – Charting the Future of AI Innovation

The following summarizes the vital takeaways from Dr. Amr Awadallah’s presentation at OODAcon 2024.  An experienced innovator who co-founded Cloudera and is now the founder and CEO of Vectara, Amr delved into the current status of AI innovation, focusing on how generative AI can be applied to business data while addressing challenges such as accuracy, security, and explainability. With over 25 years of experience in big data and AI, Amr provided a forward-looking perspective on how scalable AI systems can transform industries while ensuring ethical and enterprise-ready deployment. 

OODAcon 2024: The Net Assessment for the Future

Net assessment is a strategic framework used to evaluate competing entities’ relative strengths and weaknesses, particularly in the context of national security. In this OODAcon 2024 session, Dr. James N. Miller, a former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Will Hurd, a former Member of Congress and cybersecurity executive, conducted a net assessment of the global landscape. They examined geopolitical, technological, and policy challenges, providing insights into the forces shaping the future of national security and international strategy.

Touching the Void: Persona-Based AI and the New Age of Expertise

In an OODAcon 2024 conversation, OODA CEO Matt Devost and Dara Ladjevardian, CEO of Delphi, explored the cutting-edge realm of persona-based AI, focusing on how digital clones can amplify human productivity and interaction. As the technology behind platforms like MattGPT and bobgourley.ai, this session explored how AI-driven personas are transforming industries by scaling time, monetizing expertise, and engaging audiences at an unprecedented level.

OODAcon 2024: Disruption as a Thermodynamic Catalyst – Tech Innovations That Will Solve Global Challenges

In this OODAcon 2024 presentation by Guillaume “Gil” Verdon, we expected a hefty dose of fact-filled optimism from Gil as he painted an intensely positive view of current and future innovation. And he delivered.  Under the pseudonym “Beff Jezos” and with an endless supply of logic, humor, and memes, Guillaume Verdon created a movement called Effective Accelerationism (e/acc), which embraces technological innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence. Guillaume is also the co-founder and CEO of Extropic, a company that has brought a new form of computing from theory into reality. Guillaume outlined how Thermodynamic Computing can deliver extreme computing power for fractions of the energy cost, enabling continued growth in massive-scale AI applications. 

The OODAcon 2024 Annual Global Threat Brief

In what has become a much anticipated annual event at OODAcon, the OODAcon 2024 Annual Global Threat Brief is Johnny Sawyer (renowned for his ability to contextualize global risks and convey their nature in ways that can inform, educate, and drive decisions) in an interview format with corporate intelligence and investigations expert Jen Hoar – who facilitated a discussion with Johnny that provided expert analysis of the global threat environment, covering topics such as cybersecurity, geopolitics, and technological disruption. 

OODAcon 2024: China – Current Threats and Emerging Risks

The founder of the cybersecurity research conference ChinaCon, Kristin Del Rosso, led an OODAcon 2024 discussion with security researchers Charity Wright, Eugenio Benincasa, and Judy Ng. The discussion included insights from the latest ChinaCon and focused on the nature of current risks emanating from China.  China’s evolving strategies in cybersecurity, global influence, and infrastructure development present multifaceted risks. The OODAcon 2024 panel provided expert insights into these challenges, drawing from recent developments and highlighting opportunities for proactive defense.

The Age of Exponential Blockchain Disruption

Blockchain technology is accelerating exponentially, disrupting industries far beyond finance. This OODAcon 2024 session featured investor and innovator Angela Dalton in conversation with OODA CTO Bob Gourley exploring how blockchain is converging with other technologies like AI, gaming, and media to create new business models and transform global systems.  Angela Dalton transitioned from a career in finance and innovation in technology and media to becoming the CEO of her firm in 2018. Her work focuses on advising high-profile clients, such as ARK Invest, on blockchain disruption. She also actively engages with nonprofit organizations like the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance and participates in blockchain ecosystems, notably Polkadot​.

Cross Domain Innovation – Driving Deep Tech Convergence

This OODAcon 2024 panel, moderated by Bob Gourley, explored the theme of “Convergence” across various disciplines, including AI, biotechnology, aerospace, energy, and defense. The discussion emphasized how interdisciplinary collaboration can drive innovation, address emerging global challenges, and accelerate technological advancements. Experts Andrew Cote, William “Mac” McHenry, and Katrina McFarland shared insights from their diverse professional experiences, highlighting opportunities and barriers in achieving convergence.

OODAcon 2024: Cyber Resilience – Thriving in the AI-Powered World

At OODAcon 2024, cybersecurity leaders Jason Healey and Dor Sarig unveiled strategies to harness the power of AI in defending against evolving digital threats.  In this OODAcon 2024 session, Jason Healey of Columbia University and Dor Sarig of Pillar Security shed light on the transformative power of AI in cybersecurity in an era of escalating cyber risks. Their discussion explored how organizations can harness AI to detect threats, automate defenses, and build resilience, offering actionable strategies to stay ahead in an increasingly complex digital battlefield.  With a focus on real-world applications and risks, the panel emphasized the importance of structured frameworks like the Cyber Kill Chain and NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) for evaluating and addressing vulnerabilities in generative AI systems. The discussion also clarified AI’s dual potential as both a defensive tool and a target for attackers – and its potential on the offensive side of the cybersecurity equation.

Materializing Tomorrow – Securing Supply Chains for National Competitiveness and Reindustrialization

Critical global supply chain issues impacting innovation, competitiveness, and defense were the topics of discussion in this session at OODAcon 2024.  In a conversation with OODA CTO Bob Gourley, Molly Just Behr, leader of the CHIPS Coordination Cell (C3) at the Department of Defense (DoD), explored the U.S. strategies and programs designed to mitigate supply chain risks, strengthen national security, and ensure technological superiority in a competitive global environment.

OODAcon 2024: Navigating the Future – Strategic Insights from America’s New Map

In this OODAcon 2024 session, geostrategist and author Thomas Barnett provided a deep dive into the evolving geopolitical landscape based on his latest book, America’s New Map: Restoring Our Global Leadership in an Era of Climate Change and Demographic Collapse.  Barnett offered key insights into the shifting global dynamics and their implications for leaders in business, technology, politics, and national security, emphasizing the strategies needed to navigate this complex future.