Are Humanoid Robots the Future of Manufacturing? with Jens Mobius

Can AI and humanoid robots actually transform manufacturing? Jonathan Green sits down with Jens Mobius (Managing Partner, Infinity Partners) on why Gen AI has gone from a nice-to-have to a defensive imperative for mid-market manufacturers, the "spaceship dilemma" of when to adopt, the staggering economics of humanoid robots ($10/hour today toward $1/hour by 2035 vs. $18/hour manual labor), the real bots already on factory floors (Figure 02 at BMW, Apptronik's Apollo at Mercedes, Tesla's Optimus), and the change-management discipline that makes adoption actually stick. Key Takeaways: • Gen AI is now a defensive imperative — 82% of knowledge workers already use it, so if your company hasn't set it up, it's running as shadow IT. You can still leapfrog with agents and RPA. • The "spaceship dilemma": if you wait for perfect tech you never leave the dock — you have to commit to a tool and start experimenting now, or you miss the humanoid-robot wave. • Humanoid economics are staggering — ~$10/hour today, dropping toward $1/hour by 2035, against $18/hour manual labor. General-purpose bots are versatile, so they hold value even when your strategy changes. • With Gen AI the sequence flips: tool-first, experiment, THEN build the process — the opposite of traditional IT. Just keep the experiments aligned to company priorities, not wild. • Adoption is change management: 6–8 leader-owned initiatives, biweekly "shared consciousness" meetings (McChrystal's Team of Teams), and 1:1 coaching spread best practice and keep costly experimenting to a minimum. Notable Quotes: "Gen AI is an absolute imperative to not miss the boat." — Jens Mobius "If you decide to catch the wave, you better paddle out there." — Jens Mobius Connect with Jens Mobius: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmobius/ Website: https://infinity-partners.co Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with someone in manufacturing.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

Are data centers the future of AI — or just the next bubble? Jonathan Green talks with startup advisor and VC Jason Finkelstein about the infrastructure boom behind AI: why the data center buildout mirrors the dot-com era, where the real money in xAI is hiding, and why today's billion-dollar server farms may be obsolete before we finish building them. Key Takeaways: • The data center boom is a bubble — miniaturization will make massive AI infrastructure unnecessary within a decade • Fan base beats technology: companies with loyal ecosystems (Meta, Google) will outlast pure-play AI providers with no secondary revenue • Cybersecurity is the next wave — deepfakes and AI-powered fraud are already outpacing most people's defenses • xAI's IPO reveals where the real AI value lies: 85% of SpaceX's prospectus valuation rests on AI, not rockets • The subscription model is coming for personal computing — the same shift Spotify pulled off with music is heading to AI hardware Notable Quotes: "I'm working right now in a $300 million data center in North Carolina. That's a new wave. But as you see with the iPhone and the technology and the computer, you're spot on. It's going to miniaturize. There's going to be no need for it. There is a bubble with the data centers." — Jason Finkelstein "I think fan base wins out, to be honest with you. I think you get by as long as you have a strong fan base." — Jason Finkelstein Connect with Jason Finkelstein: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjfinkelstein Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with anyone tracking the AI infrastructure race.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

We think of AI as living inside computers — but it's reshaping the very physical world of fashion and manufacturing. Jonathan Green talks with operations and supply-chain advisor Omnya Elshafey about how AI is changing fashion: why the industry still isn't fully automated, how to keep warehouses lean, and how small companies can run an entire supply chain through disruption they can't control. Key Takeaways: • AI is reshaping fashion and manufacturing in the physical world, not just on screens • Fashion still isn't fully automated — there's huge room (and friction) for AI • Keep as little inventory in your warehouses as possible — lean beats bloated • Global shocks (like the Middle East conflict) hit supply chains you can't control — build resilience • Even a small company can manage its entire supply chain with the right systems Notable Quotes: "We want to keep as little stuff in our warehouses as possible." — Omnya Elshafey "There's a lot of things out of our control that no one can predict." — Omnya Elshafey Connect with Omnya Elshafey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omnya-elshafey Website: https://www.omneaadvisory.com Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with someone in fashion, manufacturing, or operations.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

We think of AI as digital — but can it run a real, physical oil field? Jonathan Green talks with John Hooker of Statistics & Control about AI in high-stakes industrial operations: where automation genuinely helps, where you still need a human who knows the process, and what "half robot, half person" operations actually look like. Key Takeaways: • In high-security, high-production environments, AI augments — it doesn't replace the expert • You still need someone who deeply knows the process to supervise the automation • The future is "half robot, half person" — humans and AI running operations together • Real-world signals (fuel flow, water, pressures) are where AI earns its keep • "Adopt AI" means knowing exactly what to hand it and what to keep human Notable Quotes: "It's almost like it's half robot, half person." — John Hooker "You need somebody who's very familiar with that process." — John Hooker Connect with John Hooker: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndhooker Company: Statistics & Control Inc (West Des Moines, IA) Website: https://stctrl.com/ Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with someone in industrial operations.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

Everyone was told to adopt AI, tried it, got burned — so why do enterprise AI rollouts keep failing? Jonathan Green talks with organizational strategist Rob Lion about the real reasons big AI initiatives miss: unrealistic expectations set by the hype, skipping change management, and the employee mindset of "make my job easier, but not so easy that I'm replaceable." Key Takeaways: • Most enterprise AI failures are change-management failures, not tech failures • The "promise of the commercials" sets expectations the rollout can't meet • If you skip how you roll it out, you bypass the most common path to success • Employees quietly resist: "make my job easier — but not so easy I'm replaceable" • Teach people the why and the workflow, not just "what's an LLM" Notable Quotes: "Make my job easier — but not so easy that I'm replaceable." — Rob Lion "When someone doesn't know what direction they're heading, the rollout's already in trouble." — Rob Lion Connect with Rob Lion: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertlion Website: https://blackriverpm.com Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with a leader rolling out AI.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

Can AI fix what's broken inside pharma — or is it too high-stakes and too guarded to let AI in? Jonathan Green talks with pharmaceutical expert Wendy Rockwell about the realities of bringing AI into one of the most regulated, security-conscious industries on earth: million-dollar legacy systems, painfully long buying cycles, and the trust problem when AI gives you two different answers to the same question. Key Takeaways: • Pharma is high-stakes — a wrong answer isn't an inconvenience, it's a risk • Legacy systems cost millions and fragment across regions, making AI adoption hard • AI's inconsistency (same question, different answers) is a real blocker in regulated work • The industry is extremely guarded — security and internet restrictions slow everything • Long buying cycles mean AI has to prove itself before it gets in the door Notable Quotes: "You can ask the same question twice and get two different answers." — Wendy Rockwell "We're really, really, really guarded." — Wendy Rockwell Connect with Wendy Rockwell: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-rockwellmba Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with someone in healthcare or pharma.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

Most business problems are misdiagnosed. Jonathan Green talks with operations and leadership consultant Jon Bassford about how to actually diagnose your organization — from management style to culture to broken systems — why the same idea gets ignored from the inside but embraced from an outside voice, and how to bring AI into a company without triggering fear or negativity. Key Takeaways: • Diagnose the whole organization — management style, operations, culture — not just the symptoms • The same idea is dismissed internally but embraced from an outside consultant; use that dynamic • Help leaders vet ideas and make decisions — don't just hand them more options • Introduce AI into the organization gradually (start in meetings, build comfort) • Don't let the team sink into negativity about AI — lead them through it Notable Quotes: "It's everything from our management style down to the smallest systems." — Jon Bassford "Someone brought the exact same idea from outside — and suddenly it landed." — Jon Bassford Connect with Jon Bassford: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonbassford Website: https://think-lateral.com Personal: https://johnbassford.com Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with a leader fixing their organization.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

Can AI help your business stand out — or does it just make everyone sound the same? Jonathan Green talks with Josh Lowman, founder of category-design studio Goldfront, about creating real categorical differentiation, going all-in on AI without gutting your team, and why human feeling is the one thing the machines can't fake. Key Takeaways: • Don't differentiate incrementally ("faster, more features") — create a real category • Being first in a category (or obsessively serving one customer) makes you irreplaceable • You can adopt AI without gutting your team — give everyone their own agent and protect jobs while revenue holds • AI drives a "race to similarity" (AI slop); human feeling is the differentiator • Automate the functional "money" work; keep the human "love" work — that's what customers won't pay a robot for Notable Quotes: "The real way to differentiate and persuade another human being is to show them that you feel something." — Josh Lowman "If we keep revenue flat, no one is getting laid off — that's my promise to you." — Josh Lowman Connect with Josh Lowman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshlowman Website: https://goldfront.com Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with a founder trying to stand out.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

What does AI actually change in heavy industry? Jonathan Green talks with Rick Carlisle — a lifelong technologist who started coding in COBOL — about AI in IT and the oil fields: using AI to add layers of safety rather than replace them, catching patterns in alarm and monitoring data, and why the data-center boom is even reviving nuclear power. Key Takeaways: • Use AI to add layers of safety — don't trade existing safety for efficiency • AI shines at spotting patterns in alarm/monitoring data that humans miss • The data-center power demand is reviving nuclear • AI's real value is augmentation and speed, not replacing proven systems • "Artificial" is a label — the underlying reality (and the safety stakes) hasn't changed Notable Quotes: "We throw the term 'artificial' on it, but the biology hasn't changed." — Rick Carlisle "I'd rather use AI to add more layers of safety than to replace the existing layers." — Jonathan Green Connect with Rick Carlisle: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickcde Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with someone in IT or heavy industry.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast 

Is AI quietly erasing the hands-on knowledge that keeps our infrastructure running? Jonathan Green talks with Keith Schafer — part of multiple generations in critical power and engine infrastructure — about what happens when we over-trust AI, why "artificial intelligence" isn't truly intelligent, and how the expertise powering the coming wave of AI data centers is the very knowledge we're at risk of losing. Key Takeaways: • Over-relying on AI erodes hard-won institutional knowledge and hands-on troubleshooting instincts • "AI" isn't truly intelligent — blindly trusting it (like following GPS off the road) is dangerous in the physical world • The infrastructure powering AI data centers depends on expertise that's quietly disappearing • Safety and reliability come first — some systems simply have to run (engines at 20 below) • Capture multi-generational knowledge before it walks out the door Notable Quotes: "The first time I used GPS, it told me to drive off [the road]." — Keith Schafer "As cool as it is, it's not truly artificial intelligence." — Keith Schafer Connect with Keith Schafer: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-w-schafer-19833a22 Enjoyed this? Follow The Artificial Intelligence Podcast and share it with someone who keeps the lights on.Connect with Jonathan GreenThe Bestseller: ChatGPT ProfitsFree Gift: The Master Prompt for ChatGPTFree Book on Amazon: Fire Your BossPodcast Website: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/  Subscribe, Rate, and Review: https://artificialintelligencepod.com/itunesVideo Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtificialIntelligencePodcast