Hardware Podcasts

AI-Assisted Maintenance as a Manufacturer’s Profit Lever w/ Reece Mullins

The Manufacturing Executive · 3 Nov 2026 · 31m · Episode 334

AI in practice: 2 real uses of AI described

What this episode covers

Reece Mullins, founder of Metis and former Tesla controls engineer, explains how his AI agent, Jack, assists maintenance technicians by analyzing PLC code, schematics, and live data to diagnose faults 10x faster. He argues that capturing undocumented fixes prevents 'death by a thousand cuts' and allows technicians to perform engineering-level troubleshooting, turning maintenance from a cost center into a profit lever. Mullins outlines a vision where AI agents proactively adjust machine parameters to improve line performance over time rather than just reacting to failures.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

Engineering & simulationJack (by Metis)10x quicker diagnosis

An AI agent analyzes PLC code, robot code, schematics, and past work orders to diagnose root causes of machine failures, allowing technicians to resolve issues 10x faster than manual troubleshooting.

“Zach's gonna, you know, look at that picture. Maybe it's a picture of the HMI. It sees what the status of the HMI. It looks through the PLC code. It looks through the robot code. It looks at the past look orders from a week ago. It looks through the schematics and it can say, Oh, hey, uh, looks like you're not getting like this handshake, you know, is not being made between the robot and the PLC.”

Reece Mullins · Hear it at 9:21

Running the companyJack (by Metis)

The system automates the documentation of maintenance fixes via voice input, capturing detailed context and troubleshooting steps that are typically lost, thereby creating a comprehensive data history for management decisions.

“So instead of having to go back to the computer and blog in and type all this crap out, they just like pull up the agent on their phone, just like their iPhone or the tablet or whatever, and they just speak right into it like, hey. You know, just was at station one and replaced this cable for the robot and, you know, was get had a handshake issue and troubleshooted this or whatever.”

Reece Mullins · Hear it at 13:01

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Metis, Tesla, Gorilla 76
Products
Jack
Also
Georgia Tech, OPCUA, PLC, HMI

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