Robots & Physical AI: Explained by a CTO

When AI moves from the cloud to the factory floor, the stakes change completely. A chatbot that hallucinates is annoying; a robot that hallucinates is dangerous. In this episode, Burkhard Boeckem, CTO of Hexagon AB, examines what it actually takes to build AI systems that operate in the physical world, where guessing isn't an option and failure has real consequences.

Friday, Jan. 9
10am PT / 1pm ET / 7pm CET
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The conversation covers:

Physical AI fundamentals: What changes when AI operates with safety, cost, and reliability constraints, and how you design systems that can't afford to guess
Robotics reality check: Industrial robots, mobile robots, and humanoids: where each delivers value today versus marketing hype
The humanoid question: With Tesla and others racing to build humanoid robots, is this a convergent insight or a bubble
Digital twins: Why they're essential for autonomy, how they differ from traditional industrial applications, and why organizational ambiguity can cause failures
Leadership implications: What boards misunderstand about robotics investments, responsible deployment, and the honest conversation about workforce impact

Whether you're evaluating a robotics investment or trying to separate signal from noise in the physical AI space, this is a reality check for leaders making decisions with real capital at stake.

Join this live conversation and ask your questions directly to Burkhard!

EPISODE PARTICIPANTS

Burkhard Böckem was named Hexagon’s chief technology officer in 2020 after serving as CTO of Hexagon Geosystems since 2015. In the latter role, he oversaw technology, innovation and product development for all of the Geosystems business units. He began his career in 2001, when he joined Leica Geosystems. As CTO of Hexagon, Böckem drives the innovation and continued development of Hexagon’s autonomous technology vision. He holds a Master of Science in geodesy and a Ph.D. in technology.

Michael Krigsman is a globally recognized analyst, strategic advisor, and industry commentator known for his deep business transformation, innovation, and leadership expertise. He has presented at industry events worldwide and written extensively on the reasons for IT failures. His work has been referenced in the media over 1,000 times and in more than 50 books and journal articles; his commentary on technology trends and business strategy reaches a global audience.

UPCOMING LIVE SCHEDULE

Jan 9: Burkhard Boeckem, Chief Technology Officer, Hexagon AB

Jan. 16: Prashant Mehrotra, EVP and Chief AI Officer, US Bank

Feb. 6: Alex "Sandy" Pentland, Stanford University and MIT

Feb 13. Dr. Tom Frieden, former Director, US Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Feb 27: Rob T. Lee, Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief of Research, SANS Institute, with David A. Bray, Ph.D., Distinguished Fellow and Head of the Accelerator, The Stimson Center

Mar 13: Bill Briggs, Principal | Chief Technology Officer, Deloitte

Mar 27: Praveen Akkiraju, Managing Director, Insight Partners

Apr 3: Marie Myers, Chief Financial Officer, HPE