The phrase ‘AI weapons’ often conjures images of machines making life-and-death decisions without human oversight. Xtend AI Robotics, Inc. Common Stock (NYSE:XTND ) CEO Aviv Shapira believes that narrative has outpaced reality. While autonomy is advancing rapidly across modern defense systems , he argues the industry’s trajectory is not about removing humans from the battlefield, but enabling them to make better decisions by letting AI handle speed, complexity and dangerous tasks. The Future of AI Weapons Shapira rejected the idea that autonomous weapons are headed toward fully independent lethal decision-making. “That is a misconception, at least in terms of where the industry is today,” he told Benzinga in an exclusive email interview. Instead, he described autonomy as a spectrum rather than a binary concept. AI can stabilize aircraft, navigate without GPS, avoid obstacles, coordinate with other systems or complete portions of a mission without constant human input—all without taking humans out of consequential decisions. XTEND, he said, already operates at Level 3 and Level 4 autonomy, where AI performs increasingly complex tasks while operators remain responsible for critical decisions. That distinction matters because it shifts the conversation from replacing people to augmenting them. Read Also: Anduril CEO Warns AI and Defense Valuations Are Becoming Dangerously Overvalued, Says Company Isn't Rushing to IPO Why Human Control Matters Shapira said XTEND’s philosophy is centered on what he calls “human-guided autonomy,” where AI complements human judgment instead of replacing it. “Our approach is human-guided autonomy,” he said. “We want machines to handle the speed, complexity and dangerous physical tasks that machines are better suited for, while keeping authorized humans in control of consequential decisions.” He reinforced the point with a statement that directly challenges one of the most persistent fears surrounding defense AI: “We don’t need to remove the human from the loop to make autonomy transformational.” Management’s comments reflect a view that autonomy’s value lies in reducing cognitive burden and improving operational effectiveness rather than delegating lethal authority to machines. Our inference is that framing AI as a decision-support technology, rather than an autonomous decision-maker, could also help address one of the sector’s most closely watched ethical and regulatory concerns. Why it Matters As defense companies race to deploy AI-enabled systems, investors may increasingly distinguish between firms pursuing fully autonomous capabilities and those focused on human-guided autonomy. If Shapira’s view reflects the industry’s broader direction, the competitive advantage may come from building trusted AI that enhances operators’ effectiveness—not from removing them from the decision-making process. Read Also: The Future of Defense Tech Isn't Hardware. It's the 'Android of Robotics'  Image courtesy XTEND

NYSE issues a pre-market daily advisory direct from the trading floor. NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) provides a daily pre-market update directly from the NYSE Trading Floor. Access today's NYSE Pre-market update for market insights before trading begins. Ashley Mastronardi delivers the pre-market update on September 4th AI-powered defense robotics and software company XTEND will begin trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol XTND. The company is going public following a business combination with JFB Construction Holdings. The combined company will be renamed XTEND AI Robotics. In a statement, XTEND CEO Aviv Shapira said that the move represents the next chapter in his company's growth journey. Telecommunications giant AT&T (NYSE: T ) celebrates 125th anniversary as a NYSE-listed company. The company officially debuted for trade on this date in 1901. AT&T is the 11th-longest listed company on the NYSE. AT&T's SVP, Treasurer + Head of Investor Relations Brett Feldman will join Taking Stock this afternoon to highlight the significance of the milestone. Investors are parsing through the August jobs report, which came out ahead of market open. Economists expected to see that the U.S. gained 56,000 jobs last month, with the unemployment rate projected to hold steady at 4.1%. Opening Bell Annaly Capital (NYSE: NLY ) and EB Research Partnership celebrate Rare Ventures initiative Closing Bell Stop Soldier Suicide spotlights its focus on solving the issue of suicide among U.S. veterans and service members For market insights, IPO activity, and today's opening bell, download the NYSE TV App and check out the NYSE YouTube: TV.NYSE.com and YouTube.com/@NYSEofficial SOURCE New York Stock Exchange