# How FPGAs become the gatekeepers of Physical AI Security

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2026-09-04
- Length: 1h 08m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/lattice-semiconductor

## Summary

Eric Sivertson, VP of Security Business at Lattice Semiconductor, explains how FPGAs provide deterministic guardrails for physical AI and robotics, addressing the shift from traditional IT risk to real-world safety risks. He details how FPGAs can monitor system buses in real-time to enforce cyber resilience, ensuring that probabilistic AI decisions are checked against deterministic hardware constraints. The discussion highlights the vulnerability of main processors like GPUs and MCUs, which lack internal non-volatile memory, and positions Lattice's Root of Trust (ROT) components as essential for secure boot and runtime recovery. Sivertson argues that integrating these security features early in the design cycle is critical for humanoids and autonomous systems to gain market trust and avoid regulatory backlash.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=0) Introduction: John Deere AI and Nvidia/Hugging Face Acquisition
- [9:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=543) News: Nvidia Acquires Hugging Face and Skilled AI S1 Model
- [17:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=1076) News: Pterodine Robotics Sues Jaka Robotics Over Patents
- [23:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=1383) Interview: Eric Sivertson on Lattice FPGAs and Physical AI Security
- [29:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=1791) The Threat Model: Safe vs. Secure Humanoids
- [34:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=2048) Endpoint Security and the Guns, Guards, and Gates Model
- [44:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=2657) FPGA Cyber Resilience: Runtime Monitoring and Recovery
- [54:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=3267) Root of Trust (ROT) and Protecting Main Processors
- [1:01:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2026-09-04-how-fpgas-become-the-gatekeepers-of-physical-ai-security#t=3703) Market Adoption and Regulatory Lag

## Topics

- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Lattice Semiconductor (company)
- FPGA (chip)
- Nvidia (company)
- Hugging Face (company)
- Skilled AI (company)
- Pterodine Robotics (company)
- Jaka Robotics (company)
- Universal Robots (company)
- John Deere (company)
- Tesla (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 68: The Wide World of FPGAs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2024-05-22-episode-68-the-wide-world-of-fpgas) (The Circuit)
- [When AI Gets a Body: Physical AI, Humanoids and the Future of Silicon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2026-06-05-when-ai-gets-a-body-physical-ai-humanoids-and-the-future-of-silicon) (EE Times Current)
- [Ep. 28 | How DARPA Stops IC Hardware Hackers in Their Tracks: Insights from Serge Leef](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-08-24-ep-28-how-darpa-stops-ic-hardware-hackers-in-their-tracks-insights-from-serge-le) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Security for SoC Interfaces Takes Center Stage in Data Protection](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-05-11-security-for-soc-interfaces-takes-center-stage-in-data-protection) (EE Times Current)
- [Ep048: Truly Trustworthy Hardware, Glowing Uranium Marbles, Bitstreaming the USB, Chaos of Congress](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-01-01-ep048-truly-trustworthy-hardware-glowing-uranium-marbles-bitstreaming-the-usb-ch) (Hackaday Podcast)

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