Hardware Podcasts

514: Just Turn Off All the Computers

Embedded.fm · 14 Nov 2025 · 1h 10m · Episode 514

What this episode covers

Philip Koopman, a retired Carnegie Mellon University professor and author of 'Embodied AI Safety: Reimagining safety engineering for artificial intelligence in physical systems,' discusses the critical safety, security, and legal challenges of deploying AI in physical devices. He uses Waymo robotaxis as a primary example to illustrate how 'moral crumple zones' and human factors create liability gaps when AI supplants human agency. Koopman argues that current tort negligence laws are insufficient for holding manufacturers accountable for AI errors, necessitating a shift in how engineers approach hazard assessment and risk mitigation for embodied systems.

Most relevant to

established companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Carnegie Mellon University, Waymo, EE Times
Products
Embodied AI Safety: Reimagining safety engineering for artificial intelligence in physical systems, ELIZA
Also
UL 4600

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Robot Talk · 36m

    Episode Thirty-One: Chris Atkeson

    Professor Chris Atkeson from Carnegie Mellon University discusses the divergence between robot 'brains' and 'bodies,' arguing that large language models will solve the cognitive side while soft robotics must solve physical safety. He explains how his research on inflatable 'balloon robots' inspired the design of Baymax in Disney's Big Hero 6, prioritizing intrinsic safety through low mass and soft materials. Atkeson also explores the concept of 'human-aware environments,' where sensors are embedded in home infrastructure rather than just the robot itself, and discusses the ethical implications of data ownership and privacy in these systems.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    10 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 09m

    AI's Role in the Future of Robotics: Insights from 3Laws

    Andrew Singletary, CEO, and Amir Sharif, COO of 3Laws, discuss their company's evolution from academic research at Caltech to commercializing safety software for robotics. They explain how their core technology, control barrier functions, provides a deterministic safety layer that safeguards AI-driven physical systems, contrasting this with traditional heuristic-based safety. The conversation covers their product lines, Supervisor Pro and Supervisor for ROS, and how these solutions help companies achieve certification and reduce costs by enabling the use of non-safety-rated sensors.

    Embedded firmwareAI & machine learning
    7 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 32m

    65. Pizzaiolo Robot & Autonomous Wheelchairs

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss two robotics projects: a pizza-making robot from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and UCSD that uses a teacher-student AI framework to learn dough manipulation, and an autonomous wheelchair study by EPFL that highlights safety risks and the need for assisted navigation in crowds. They analyze the engineering challenges of soft robotics, sensor integration, and the legal implications of human-robot interaction.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

  • The Builder Circle · 1h 13m

    S3 E5: AI in Hardware: The Future of Design, Manufacturing, and Innovation with Kristen Edwards

    Kristen Edwards, CTO and co-founder of Pensa Technologies and MIT PhD candidate, discusses integrating AI into hardware engineering workflows, emphasizing the need to track decision reasoning and manage data governance. She explains that while AI acts as a 'co-pilot' to augment human expertise, high-consequence tasks require human oversight due to liability and explainability concerns. Edwards highlights specific challenges in spatial reasoning, design-for-manufacturing translation, and IP security, suggesting techniques like federated learning and retrieval-augmented generation to protect sensitive engineering data. The conversation covers practical applications in CAD, automated testing, and quality assurance, noting that AI will likely replace repetitive tasks rather than creative engineering roles.

    AI & machine learningSecurity & privacy
    9 chapters

  • EE Times Current · 29m

    Building a Framework to Trust AI

    Helen Toner, Director of Strategy at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, argues that AI currently lacks the engineering discipline required for mission-critical systems, describing current machine learning development as akin to 'alchemy.' She outlines a necessary framework involving basic science, socio-legal standards, and engineering rigor to ensure reliability, citing failures in social media algorithms and hiring tools as evidence of current risks. The episode also covers industry news, including Arm’s Sophie architecture for automotive software and Silicon Labs’ new in-line programming capabilities for IoT security.

    AI & machine learningSecurity & privacy
    5 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Embedded.fm. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.