AI in Action Industrial work reimagined with AI and robotics
Sep 23, 2025
Aaron Saunders, CTO of Boston Dynamics, is at the forefront of AI-powered robotics, focusing on revolutionizing industrial automation. He discusses how these advanced robots enhance efficiency and safety, especially in hazardous environments. Saunders highlights the shift to Robotics as a Service and shares practical applications, such as data-driven programming and real-world ROI. He also addresses challenges like managing expectations and ensuring data privacy while predicting future advancements in human-robot interaction.
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Purpose-Built Robots Come First
- Robots will enter homes and factories sooner as purpose-built devices rather than as all-purpose helpers like Rosie.
- True generalist robots remain far off because safety and versatility are much harder than cost and hardware challenges.
AI Is Rewiring The Robot Stack
- Foundation models and LLMs are causing tectonic shifts across the robot stack from interfaces to control.
- The challenge is mapping open-ended inputs into predictable, safe actions rather than just improving perception.
Put Deterministic Guardrails Around Models
- Combine probabilistic AI outputs with deterministic safety layers to ensure predictable robot behavior.
- Use intermediary deterministic stages to validate or constrain model outputs before action.