AI In Action: DSET and the Challenges We Prepare For
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Tess Butler, founder of DSET and CEO of Ruddy Nice, joined the AI In Action podcast to discuss the evolving challenges facing defence simulation and training — and why the industry needs to move faster.
With 29 years in modelling and simulation and 25 in wargaming, Butler's central argument is that training has long been treated as a poor relation to procurement. Capability is bought in isolation from the skills needed to operate it, and by the time a training solution works its way through the procurement cycle, it can already be out of date. She points to serious games as one example of an underused tool — costing as little as £10,000, reusable across all forces, and deployable quickly — yet still struggling to gain traction.
On AI and new capabilities, Butler is both enthusiastic and cautious. AI agents, she says, are producing results that range from impressive to concerning.
"How can we employ AI quickly and safely?", asks Butler. "And what do they give us? What's the impact into our national defence and security? Could it be negative or positive? But we need to look at that really quickly and get that over the line."
Drones serve as a case study in the cost of being reactive. Butler notes that swarming drone capability was being researched a decade ago, with little uptake. The operational reality of the past year has forced the conversation — but Butler argues the industry should have been there already.
Looking ahead, DSET 2026 is introducing a live outdoor demonstration area for the first time, where drone and ground robotics companies will showcase capabilities in Cheltenham's managed airspace — a practical extension of the very conversation Butler is calling for.
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