Benjamin Tallis
@bctallis
Thought Leadership for Helsing - AI to Protect Our Democracies | Chair @DSI_Strategy |🇺🇦🇪🇺🇩🇪🇨🇿🇬🇧 | #NeoIdealism | Post=personal, Repost ≠ endorse. Views mine
“It worries me that we will be seen as the generation that screwed it up” - It was inspiring to hear UK CGS Gen. Sir Roly Walker (Head of the British Army) talk so candidly this week about his absolute determination to accelerate defence transformation to ensure deterrence.
Uncrewed air power is today tech, not tomorrow tech - & we have to get after it in practice, not theory if we’re not going to get left behind. It was an honour to be in the RAF Club in London for productive & forthright discussions on air power, with military leaders, experts & Helsing colleagues
Honoured to present Helsing’s Mastering Military Change project at NATO’s Allied Foresight Conference in Berlin - & delighted how much it resonated with the audience. Kudos to NATO ACT on a great event with a really expert crowd, top keynotes & insightful panels.
Great way to be welcomed back to Berlin! Especially after a day talking to some of the brightest, bravest & best communicators on European defence.
Excellent discussions & a great crowd at the Howgate Firebreak event at the beautiful Honourable Artillery Company in the heart of the City. I’m happy Helsing helped this happen & brought @amosfox.bsky.social together with Gen Nick Carter for a super panel. @howgatepublishing.bsky.social
The message landed in Copenhagen. Just do it. It was great to talk with so many people who clearly understand that Europe’s massive defence investment has to deliver massive upgrades in combat power - fast. With @AndersFoghR #CDS2026 2:59:30 to 3:10:00 www.youtube.com/live/XVhxoAW...
Great to be in Copenhagen for an excellent & highly productive workshop yesterday with defence officials, experts and military leaders - and now to participate in the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which Helsing is proud to support. #CDS2026
I love the realistic yet ambitious approach, focusing on the practical measures we CAN take to become a stronger sovereign player, partner & ally step-by-step. Clear diagnosis, guiding policy and prioritised, coherent and costed actions - this is the essence of strategy and essential reading.
Up bright & early heading to London for the #AuroraForum Excited to represent Helsing & engage with decision-makers from across Nordic-Baltic region - especially on learning the right lessons from #Ukraine 🇺🇦 to address our vulnerability to Russian threat by embracing new defence tech
Procurement must be Timely as well as Transparent ✅ We have to move at the speed of relevance, the speed of military and geopolitical need. ❌Legacy models will be too slow and too expensive. Key message from Stephen Fuhr PC MP CD 🇨🇦 to a packed hall at the impressive CDAI #OttawaConference
Great to be at #CafeKyiv today & proud that Helsing supported this important event. It’s been inspiring to hear so many insightful points, catch up with friends united in the fight for our free future, & to see such strong political & public support for the defining cause of our times.
The moment you arrive, you know this year’s Munich Security Conference will be different. #MSC2026 As @nicolange.bsky.social said so powerfully at the @atlantikbruecke.bsky.social dinner - Europe needs to grow its backbone. Helsing provides the tools to do just that. @munsecconf.bsky.social
My top 20 reads of 2025 (incl a few evergreen re-reads) These books materially shaped how I think and work — and several translated directly into real professional impact. I’ve got a strong list for 2026, but I’m keen to sharpen it: - what should I be reading next?
Military need & geopolitical reality not bureaucratic timelines or fiscal shortsightedness must drive Europe’s rearmament. We need to align pol, Econ & mil timelines to transform our forces, fast. Delayed deterrence is failed deterrence - & failed deterrence costs so much more.
Honoured to be at @rusi.bsky.social for CDS lecture in London. A broad ‘whole of society’ vision & strong words on lethality, but as the questions showed, UK need to dispel a perceived ‘say-do gap’. Building on Atlantic Bastion model to get new capability at speed & scale would do just that.
Baby, it’s cold outside! Wonderful, short but intense wintry trip to #Ottawa. Great to check in with experts, policy shapers & industry players & feel the energy for defence transformation & building military capability using AI. Geopolitical winter is coming but we need to be #preparednotscared
Political will meets cutting edge expertise & industrial dynamism. ⏩🇩🇪🇨🇦🦾 It was an honour to co-lead the session on rising to new security challenges at the excellent German-Canadian AI Symposium in Montreal in the company of political, industry & AI leaders. Now we all need to deliver.
Munich was looking wonderfully festive, & it was a wrench to leave after such a flying visit - though we crammed a lot of work in with a high-intensity engagement with military leaders. But, it’s already ‘giddy up Jingle Horse’, and on to Montreal via, a lovely dawn, for the AI symposium.
It was an honour to engage with the Bundeswehr Führungsakademie Transatlantic Seminar at Helsing Munich on a crucial topic: - We need to master current & future shifts or face being mastered by our enemies.
Let’s go! Last trip of the year - and it’s a bumper tour of key spots for securing the future of our free societies. 🇩🇪Munich 🇨🇦Montreal 🇨🇦Ottawa 🇨🇿Prague 🇬🇧London 🇧🇪Brussels🇪🇺 Driving forward the defence of our democracies together with military, political & industry leaders.
Europe must become strong - & we can. Very clear discussions in London on: - Strategic Picture & Urgent Timelines - Concept-Driven Military Change - Embrace of New Technologies - European Way of War - Leveraging Our Strengths in Innovation & Industry - Societal Readiness
For a strong Europe. Already on the road for an early start with @rusi.bsky.social in London tmrw on equipping the European Pillar of NATO, before heading back to to Berlin for Defence Königswinter to accelerate & deepen German & UK leadership on European defence.
From Europe. For Europe. Helsing’s CA-1 Uncrewed Combat Air Vehicle. Proud to be part of the team giving Europe the sovereign capabilities it needs for air superiority & deep strike.
Great to be back in London, and back on Whitehall for the RUSI Military Technology Conference 2025. Our ability to master military change at a time of disruptive technological shift will define the security of our democracies - and our free future. @rusi.bsky.social
Czechia’s standing & influence have been strongest when it has been strongest in its embodiment of & support for freedom & democratic values.
Using AI to protect our democracies. Delivering autonomous mass for a strong Europe. Video of my WSF speech (from 18:22👇 It was an honour to speak on behalf of @HelsingAI at @warsawforum.bsky.social this week www.youtube.com/live/Y4XUcxq...
Really looking forward to presenting Helsing & our mission at a crucial time for European security today at the Warsaw Security Forum - if you’re here come and join us in the Chicago Room from 1130-1200 (I’ll be on at about 1145/1150 @warsawforum.bsky.social #WSF2025
We must not only spend more, but better. Europe needs real new capabilities. Strong start to the Defence Track at the #WarsawSecurityForum - interesting also to hear mention of the ‘Drone Wall’ already in the intro …