AI, Autonomous Transformation, and Avoiding "Pilot Purgatory" with Microsoft's Brian Evergreen

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 13 Dec 2022 · 46m

What this episode covers

Brian Evergreen, Global Head of Autonomous AI Co-Innovation at Microsoft, defines autonomous AI as closed-loop systems that leverage domain expertise rather than just historical data, contrasting it with traditional machine learning. He explains how manufacturers can avoid 'pilot purgatory' by forming executive steering committees and emphasizes that autonomous AI allows engineers and operators to build AI directly without needing vast datasets. Evergreen shares examples of autonomous AI in CNC machine calibration and drone landing, highlighting its ability to operate offline and learn from human expertise faster than raw reinforcement learning.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Being an Engineer · 49m

    S6E40 Matt Puchalski | Vision Inspection, Autonomous Vehicles, & Graduating Y Combinator

    Matt Puchalski, founder and CEO of Bucket Robotics, explains how his Y Combinator-backed startup uses synthetic data generated from STEP files to automate visual inspection in manufacturing, bypassing the need for physical 'golden samples.' He contrasts this approach with legacy systems from Keyence and Cognex, highlighting how starting from CAD models allows for rapid simulation of good and bad parts. Puchalski also shares his background in autonomous vehicles at Argo AI and Latitude AI, discussing the unique reliability challenges of deploying Level 4 AVs and how those lessons inform his current work in flexible manufacturing.

  • Moore's Lobby · 36m

    Ep. 25 | Microsoft US's CTO Gina Loften on Identifying the Next Big Tech

    Gina Loften, CTO of Microsoft US, discusses her career trajectory from naval sonar engineering at IBM to leading AI strategy at Microsoft. She explains how early career disruptions taught her to anticipate technological shifts, moving from underwater acoustics to networking, cloud computing, and finally AI. Loften emphasizes the importance of engineers developing leadership skills and views AI not as a replacement for experts, but as an 'assistant' that enhances human decision-making. She highlights the critical transition of AI from the cloud to the edge, particularly in healthcare and retail, to enable autonomous systems.

  • Built 2 Scale · 56m

    Autonomous Cars, Autonomous Tunneling and… Autonomous Homes?

    Hosts Matt Perrott and Scott Wilcox discuss Jensen Huang's circular investment strategy involving Nvidia, OpenAI, and Oracle, and the rise of non-Apple wearables like the Oura Ring and Meta Ray-Ban glasses. They explore the concept of 'device-less' autonomous homes with embedded AI workstations, the future of autonomous driving via Wayve's camera-only approach, and The Boring Company's autonomous tunneling technology. The episode also covers CEO Tobi Lutke's long-term data strategy and the hosts' updated AI power rankings.

  • EE Times Current · 18m

    Phil Koopman on Autonomy | Life after Nokia, Graphcore CEO

    Phil Koopman, CTO of Edge Case Research and CMU professor, explains the challenges of developing autonomy standards like UL 4600 and ISO 21448, emphasizing the need to manage 'unknown unknowns' and validate machine learning-based systems without freezing innovation. The episode also features reports on Samsung's 5nm foundry process race against TSMC, Graphcore's IPU architecture for AI acceleration, and the regeneration of Oulu, Finland, into 'Radio Valley' following Nokia's decline.

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 07m

    How software-defined manufacturing fits into real factory operation

    Roby Lynn, founder and CEO of R2 Labs, explains how his company’s R2 Autonomy Controller bridges the gap between legacy OT systems (PLCs, robots) and modern IT tools (MES, ERP) in industrial manufacturing. He details the product's ability to orchestrate production assets, integrate AI-based vision inspection, and run models locally on GPU-accelerated hardware to avoid cloud dependencies. Lynn also shares lessons from building the company, emphasizing the importance of customer feedback, pragmatic design over 'cool' technology, and addressing the workforce talent crunch in legacy automation.

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