Shield AI has signed a contract with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to integrate its Hivemind AI platform into Taiwan’s unmanned systems, accelerating autonomous pilot development and deployment. The partnership enables a single operator to control multiple systems and improves performance in GPS- and communications-denied environments. Shield AI is also opening a local office and hiring in Taiwan, reinforcing its commitment to the country’s defense ecosystem.

Taiwan’s long-standing “porcupine strategy” focuses on making an invasion too painful and costly through asymmetric defenses—mobile missiles, sea mines, air defenses, and other survivable systems designed to deter China by denial.

What’s emerging now is often described as a “swarm” or “beehive” concept—large numbers of distributed, unmanned, AI-enabled systems (air, sea, and potentially ground) that can operate even in GPS- and communications-denied environments. This doesn’t replace the porcupine strategy; it modernizes and reinforces it. Shield AI writes:

Shield AI announced today that it has signed a contract with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to advance the development, demonstration, and deployment of AI-piloted unmanned systems. The collaboration will integrate Shield AI’s Hivemind platform into NCSIST’s intelligent unmanned systems, supporting both software development and operational fielding.

Under the agreement, NCSIST will use Shield AI’s Hivemind platform to accelerate the development of locally produced AI pilots for the purposes of autonomous mission execution and coordinated multi-system teaming operations, enabling a single operator to supervise multiple unmanned systems from one ground control station. The effort combines use of the Hivemind software development kit (SDK) for integration on indigenously developed platforms with turnkey Hivemind integrations provided by Shield AI for demonstration on NCSIST’s multi-role unmanned systems, supporting sustained operations under limited manpower conditions.

“We are deeply committed to supporting Taiwan’s military and industrial ecosystem. We’ve established a local office at Taipei 101 and are hiring local Taiwanese teammates into high-tech jobs to protect and defend Taiwan. Through this partnership with NCSIST, we are helping enable the drone forces Taiwan is building with cutting-edge AI pilots that will allow drones to team and operate while GPS and communications are jammed,” said Brandon Tseng, president, co-founder, and a former Navy SEAL. “Over the next five years, you will see Shield AI continue to grow and invest in Taiwan and the defense of Taiwan.”

Hivemind is Shield AI’s core artificial intelligence software that enables platforms to sense, decide, and act. Unlike traditional autopilots that simply follow preplanned routes, Hivemind can reroute around no-fly zones, avoid obstacles, respond to unexpected conditions, and complete missions safely and effectively without human intervention. By combining simulation-based training, AI development tools, and onboard edge computing, the platform enables reliable operation in complex environments where GPS and communications may be degraded or denied.

NCSIST serves as Taiwan’s lead defense research and development organization and plays a central role in validating and integrating capabilities for military use. Collaboration with NCSIST establishes an important foundation for broader adoption of autonomous software across multiple platforms and mission sets.

This agreement also highlights Shield AI’s continued investment in Taiwan and its defense ecosystem. Last year, Shield AI announced a teaming agreement with Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) to deploy, support, and sustain its products in Taiwan, and the opening of a new office in Taipei 101.

Read more here.