SKY ENGINE AI's Dr. Malc Souter on AI-Generated Training Data

In this episode Scott talks with Dr. Malc Souter, a computer graphics PhD and former Hollywood special effects engineer, now bringing his rendering expertise to AI at Sky Engine. They dive deep into the surprising power of synthetic data, exploring when fake can outperform real in areas like medical imaging, defense, and self-driving cars. Malc shares lessons from the visual effects trenches, discusses how custom rendering engines are reshaping machine learning pipelines, and unpacks the nuanced tension between privacy and progress in the age of computer vision.https://www.skyengine.ai

When authors want to talk about their book they go on a book tour and often they go to large companies like Microsoft and speak to us in person. I had the opportunity to interview Dave Berry in person and I jumped at it. I grew up reading his humor column syndicated in The Oregonian, and his brand of sarcasm and dry humor matches mine. This episode is that raw recording in association with and with the permission of Microsoft's Outside in Lecture Series program.  He was a lovely gentleman and we enjoyed spending time together, so if it seems like we're picking on each other, we are.Dave Barry's Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass

What does it really take to succeed in today’s fast-paced, innovation-driven world? In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman chats with Earl Valencia—acclaimed tech leader, venture-backed founder, and author of Startup Mindsets: A Blueprint to Thrive in an Innovation-Driven and Globally Connected World. Earl brings real-world insights from Silicon Valley, Southeast Asia, and startup scenes around the globe. He talks about the habits, mindsets, and leadership styles that help founders stand out—not just another success story, but a practical guide for anyone trying to build something meaningful. Whether you’re launching a startup, working in tech, or just curious about how big ideas come to life, this conversation will leave you inspired to think bigger and bolder.https://www.startupmindsets.com/book

Ever wonder how AI “sees” high-dimensional data? In this special 1,000th episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman chats with AI expert Pamela Fox about the fascinating world of visualizing complex data. Pamela breaks down how those abstract numbers and vectors can be turned into visuals we can actually understand—basically helping us see how AI thinks. They also talk about the challenge of explaining advanced AI stuff in plain English, and why it matters for devs, data folks, or really anyone curious about what’s going on behind the scenes. If you've ever wanted a peek into the brain of an AI, this is a fun and eye-opening place to start.

What if AI could not only speed up your code reviews—but actually make them fairer? In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott Hanselman chats with Howon Lee, Senior Software Engineer at CodeRabbit, about how AI is changing the game when it comes to code reviews. They dig into the unspoken dynamics that can pop up in traditional reviews—like how seniority or team politics sometimes matter more than the code itself. Howon shares why AI can be a helpful, unbiased voice that gives everyone clear, consistent feedback, no matter their experience level. They also talk about how tools like CodeRabbit are working to make software development more inclusive and collaborative.http://coderabbit.ai

Learn how to supercharge your AI development with our integrated signals loop that connects model choice, knowledge retrieval, fine-tuning, orchestration and memory —anchored by observability and trust. Design, customize, and manage intelligent agents using open standards and protocols such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) to connect with tools and drive collaboration. Gain insights into advanced orchestration, tracing, and monitoring to streamline decision-making, boost efficiency, accelerate time to market, and lower costs.NOTE - This is a bit of a meta-episode, recorded live at Microsoft Build, this is a discussion about how Scott might use AI to help produce his podcast!Azure AI Foundry: The AI app and Agent Factory | BRK155

In this episode of Hanselminutes, Scott sits down with AI/ML & Robotics leader Jasmine Lawrence Campbell to explore the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and robotics. Jasmine shares insights on how AI is shaping the future of robotics, the challenges of integrating AI into robotic systems, and why she believes there's a place for everyone in AI. Whether you're a developer, researcher, or simply curious about the intersection of AI and robotics, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on the technology driving automation forward.https://www.jasminelawrence.com

Vibe Coding has folks talking and "vibing entire applications." But is it valid? Should one use AI agents to create apps that go directly into production, or is it just appropriate for prototyping? Scott talks to James Montemagno who recently vibed a 17,000 line application and only wrote 20 bespoke lines himself. Is this the future of programming or did James get lucky? Scott takes the sceptical view in this spicy episode.

What if you could craft Super Nintendo ROMs using the power of C#? In this episode, Scott Hanselman dives into the world of retro game development with Matthew Shapiro, the creator of DotnetSnes—a tool that enables developers to build SNES games with modern .NET technology. They explore how the project works, the challenges of programming for classic hardware, and what this means for indie game developers and hobbyists alike. Whether you’re a nostalgic gamer or a coding enthusiast, this conversation is packed with insights that bridge the old-school and the cutting-edge.https://github.com/KallDrexx/DotnetSneshttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7320970127917649920/

The issue of software support for open-source is a long and storied one. Scott sits down with open-source advocate Hayden Barnes about how paid support and custom builds of older open-source software is a business opportunity for herodevs. Should you upgrade and migrate to the latest build? Or should you get paid never ending support?