Ralph Goff & Seth Shava – Drones, AI and the Future of Warfare

In Episode 17 of Panel 54, hosts Waweru Njoroge and Ndu Okoh sit down with Retired KAF Colonel, Seth Shava and former CIA Station Chief, Ralph Goff to unpack how artificial intelligence and drone warfare are reshaping security, sovereignty, and the future of conflict.

The conversation explores the new face of war, where drones, data, and algorithms are as powerful as armies. From the battlefields of Ukraine to the skies over Sudan, from intelligence operations to information warfare, the guests reveal how technology has redrawn the rules of engagement.

Drawing from decades of military and intelligence experience, Colonel Shava and Goff break down how AI-driven systems, autonomous weapons, and surveillance technology are transforming global power and what that means for Africa’s own defence and diplomacy.

They discuss the race for air dominance, the rise of private military tech firms, and the ethical limits of machines making life and death decisions. The episode asks whether Africa is ready for the next frontier, a world where wars are fought with code, not just soldiers.

Lagos to Lamu. Cape Town to Cairo. This is Panel 54, a global perspective through an African lens.