AI: chipset bans and keeping humans in the loop

The Robot Report Podcast · 2 Sept 2022 · 1h 06m

What this episode covers

Michael Cohen, founder and CEO of Spark AI, explains how his company’s human-in-the-loop API resolves edge cases for robotics systems, specifically detailing a partnership with John Deere for autonomous tractors and applications in logistics. The hosts discuss the US government's export restrictions on AI chipsets from NVIDIA and AMD to China, analyzing the impact on robotics training and development. Cohen argues that while AI can reach 95% reliability, the final 5% requires human intervention to ensure commercial viability and safety, a gap Spark AI fills by providing real-time decision support.

Mentioned

Companies
Spark AI, John Deere, NVIDIA, AMD, Waymo, Zook's, Uber, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Plus, Pony AI, Neuro, Toyota Research Institute, OceanGate, Mass Robotics, Soft Robotics, Perceptive Automata

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • EE Times Current · 15m

    Silicon 100: Startups Worth Watching in 2023

    Peter Clark, curator of EE Times' Silicon 100, analyzes the 2023 list with Embedded.com editor Nitin Dahad, highlighting a surge in AI startups, significant Chinese activity, and a shift toward full-stack offerings. They discuss the transition from data center AI to edge applications, the persistent semiconductor talent shortage, and the geopolitical challenges facing Chinese chipmakers like Byton Technology who are denied access to leading-edge foundries like TSMC. The conversation also covers the rise of custom silicon, the maturity of quantum computing, and the broadening wavefront of startup activity across power semiconductors and displays.

  • Go/No-Go · 24m

    Headlines | Robot Ban, AI-Designed Viruses, Perfect Pringles

    Hosts John Brunner and Taylor Zanowski discuss recent regulatory and technological headlines, starting with the FCC's ban on foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, specifically impacting Chinese manufacturer Unitree, and the revocation of approvals for Odyssey Robot, a front company for DJI drones. They then examine the biosecurity implications of AI-designed bacteriophages developed by Stanford and Arc Institute, comparing the regulatory landscape to the 2018 Farm Bill. Finally, they analyze Kellanova and Siemens' four-year, $5 million project to perfect Pringles manufacturing in Poland using digital twins and AI, which improved line performance and reduced waste.

  • EE Times Current · 47m

    Interview: Roboticist Ayanna Howard | Memories May Be Beautiful, And Yet | Math & Neptune

    Georgia Tech professor and roboticist Ayanna Howard discusses the intersection of AI and robotics, highlighting how humans overtrust robots in high-risk scenarios and the challenges of generalizing robotic behavior across different environments. EE Times contributor Gary Hilson analyzes the semiconductor memory market, explaining why emerging memories like MRAM and 3D XPoint struggle to displace established DRAM and Flash due to cost and manufacturing hurdles. The episode also previews the upcoming Boards and Solutions Conference, focusing on embedded computer boards for industrial automation, smart cities, and edge computing.

  • The Circuit · 43m

    Episode 101 Part 1: Discussion with Jordan Schneider (ChinaTalk) on New Semi Regulations

    Jordan Schneider, founder of China Talk, joins Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg to analyze the Biden administration's new semiconductor export controls targeting China. They discuss three key regulatory pillars: tightened restrictions on manufacturing equipment and high-bandwidth memory (HBM), new screening requirements for foundries like TSMC to prevent Huawei from bypassing rules, and a novel 'AI diffusion rule' that restricts where foreign nations can build large-scale AI data centers. The conversation explores the effectiveness of these measures in slowing China's AI advancement, the potential for Chinese workarounds via shell companies or inefficient scaling, and the unintended consequences for companies like Nvidia and the global supply chain.

  • The Circuit · 43m

    Episode 120: NVIDIA Earnings, The Future of AI inference, China AI and more

    Austin Lyons joins Jay Goldberg to analyze NVIDIA's recent earnings, highlighting the shift from training to inference workloads and the impact of US export bans on China revenue. They discuss the competitive landscape for AI inference, including on-device processing, enterprise AI factories, and the strategic moves by competitors like Google and Dell. The conversation explores the challenges of realizing ROI from massive AI infrastructure investments and the evolving consumer and enterprise use cases for generative AI.

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