Industrial AI Podcast The "Schalker Jung" at Gemini
Oct 29, 2025
Timo Gessmann, CTO of Schunk, discusses blending mechanical design with AI to enhance robotics and the challenges of recruiting top talent for industrial AI roles. He emphasizes the need for strong European robotic models and outlines Schunk's vision for automation. Phillip Lippe from Google DeepMind shares insights on generative AI and the importance of foundation models in creating domain-specific intelligence. They also explore the future of AI scaling, hybrid architectures, and the potential safety implications in applications across various industries.
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Mechanics Plus AI Equals Versatile Robots
- Timo Gessmann argues combining strong mechanics with AI creates versatile robotic products.
- He frames robots as bodies that need brains to learn new skills for real-world automation.
Recruit AI Talent By Showing Opportunity
- Schunk emphasizes building reputation to attract AI and software talent into a mechanical-engineering firm.
- Timo invites AI experts to join and bring software skills to enhance product development.
From Classic Grasping To Foundation Models
- Schunk moved from classical AI grasping to leveraging robotic foundation models for generalizable grasping.
- They aim to embed these models into hands and servers to solve diverse real-world physical interaction tasks.