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

- Show: [The Builder Circle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle)
- Published: 2025-11-25
- Length: 1h 13m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris
- Listen: https://rss.com/podcasts/thebuildercircle/2344359

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=0) Introduction and Sponsor Reads
- [4:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=294) AI's Impact on Engineering Workflows and Testing
- [12:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=779) Data Security, IP, and Federated Learning
- [20:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=1231) AI Taxonomy, Trust, and Predictive vs. Generative Models
- [33:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=2033) Pensa Technologies and the Design-Manufacturing Interface
- [43:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=2580) Academia-to-Industry Translation and Real-World Constraints
- [49:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=2987) Black Box Models, Diffusion Policy, and Explainability
- [56:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=3370) Recommended Tools and Future CAD Automation
- [1:02:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2025-11-25-s3-e5-ai-in-hardware-the-future-of-design-manufacturing-and-innovation-with-kris#t=3773) Lightning Round: AI's Future and Human Moats

## Topics

- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- PTC (company)
- 1000 Kelvin (company)
- Auto PCB (company)
- Bucket Robotics (company)
- Toyota Research Institute (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S4E43 Kevin Surace | How To Use AI For Engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-11-10-s4e43-kevin-surace-how-to-use-ai-for-engineering) (Being an Engineer)
- [Can AI Design IoT Hardware? | Flux's Matthias Wagner | Internet of Things Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2026-04-14-can-ai-design-iot-hardware-fluxs-matthias-wagner-internet-of-things-podcast) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [AI Tooling with Matt Liberty and Luke Beno](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-04-23-ai-tooling-with-matt-liberty-and-luke-beno) (The Amp Hour)
- [Trust at Scale: The Next Challenge for AI-Driven Semiconductor Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-08-26-trust-at-scale-the-next-challenge-for-ai-driven-semiconductor-development) (EE Times Current)
- [When using AI in product development is not a good idea - IDology #13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/idology/2024-01-10-when-using-ai-in-product-development-is-not-a-good-idea-idology-13) (IDology)

## Citing this page

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