Anduril's AI Grand Prix narrows to 10 teams; final set for Dec. 11 at Arsenal-1
Anduril says more than 3,000 teams signed up for its AI Grand Prix autonomous drone race and 10 remain after a physical qualifier at its headquarters. The final is set for December 11 at Arsenal-1 in Ohio, later than the November date given at launch.
What happened
In a video posted on its YouTube channel on September 25, 2026, Anduril said it had hosted the AI Grand Prix's physical qualifier at its headquarters that week. Competitors from eight countries tested their code live: the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Estonia, Kazakhstan and China. Anduril said the event doubled as a recruiting event for "eligible global talent."
According to the company, more than 3,000 teams registered for the competition and 10 remain. The first AI Grand Prix final is scheduled for December 11 at Arsenal-1, Anduril's factory in Ohio. When the race was launched in January 2026, Anduril and outlets including DroneLife said the championship would be held in November 2026 in Columbus, Ohio; the December 11 date comes from Anduril's September video.
The race has no human pilots. Every team flies the same drone, built by Neros Technologies, and hardware changes are not allowed, so the teams compete only on their autonomy software. Teams are competing for a $500,000 prize pool and a job at Anduril.
Background
Anduril announced the AI Grand Prix in January 2026 as an open, global autonomous drone race for university teams and independent engineers. It began with a remote qualification phase in spring 2026, with top teams moving on to in-person training and qualification. DroneLife reported that the race is run in partnership with JobsOhio and uses an AI module from the Drone Champions League.
Anduril's headquarters is in Costa Mesa, California. Arsenal-1 is its large manufacturing site near Columbus, Ohio, announced in January 2025, which built its first YFQ-44A Fury aircraft in July 2026. Neros Technologies is a U.S. maker of small drones.
What to watch next
The final is scheduled for December 11 at Arsenal-1. Watch for the list of the 10 finalist teams and which countries they come from, the winner, and whether Anduril hires any of the competitors.
Watch
Sources
- Original report: The AI–GP Physical Qualifiers 2026 (Anduril Industries (YouTube), Sep 25, 2026) Official Anduril
- DroneLife: Anduril Launches $500K Drone Racing AI Grand Prix Other outlet
Written by Anduril News with AI assistance from the original report and other coverage, in plain English. It can contain mistakes; check the original for anything important. How we write these.
