Making AI Possible

Making AI Possible: "Using AI to Avoid a 'Cognitive Coup'"- May 2026

Making AI Possible | May 5, 2026 📣What happens when AI starts shaping how we think, decide, and remember? Find out in the replay of the 5th episode of Making AI Possible: "Using AI to Avoid a 'Cognitive Coup'". In our May 5 live webcast of Making AI Possible, host Nicholas Beaudoin, Caltech CTME's Affiliate Director of AI Programs, sat down with Dr. Fatima T. Zahra, founding director of the AI, Race, and Evaluation Lab at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and Dr. Crystal Dilworth, neuroscientist, science communicator, and Caltech CTME instructor working at the intersection of emerging tech and human behavior. Together they discussed whether AI use is genuinely degrading our cognition or whether it can be turned into a tool that sharpens it, and what it means to build "culturally responsible" AI as these systems become embedded in daily life.

Making AI Possible - Making AI Possible Without Making Life Impossible- April 2026

Is the technology that's meant to make your life easier actually making it harder? Making AI Possible Without Making Life Impossible Our April 7 live webcast of Making AI Possible, hosted by Nicholas Beaudoin, Caltech CTME's Affiliate Director of AI Programs, features Amber Case, Cyborg Anthropologist, UX Designer, and Founder of the Calm Tech Institute, a design standards organization asking something most AI builders aren't: does your technology demand more attention than it needs to? We get into the 70-year hype cycle behind the term "artificial intelligence," why builders are feeling busier, not less busy, since adopting AI tools, and what good AI design actually looks like when engineering safety principles are taken seriously. If your tools are starting to work against you, this live podcast is worth your time.

Making AI Possible - Out of This World Autonomy and AI - March 2026

Welcome to the Making AI Possible Podcast—your monthly deep dive into the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and how they’re shaping the world around us. Produced at Caltech in Pasadena, California, this series features in-depth conversations with the people driving AI innovation forward. In our third episode of Making AI Possible for Season 2, we present Out of This World Autonomy and AI. Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin welcomes guest Issa Nesnas, Principal Robotics Technologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, whose work spans multiple generations of martian and lunar rovers and foundational autonomy systems. Together, Nicholas and Issa will explore the harsh realities of operating on planetary bodies, from communication delays and radiation-hardened processors to unpredictable terrain and irreversible mistakes. The conversation digs into: • how computer vision functions in unknown environments • how onboard systems make decisions with limited compute • what “autonomy assurance” really means when a single error can end a mission This is a look at the engineering discipline required to build AI systems that are bounded, tested, and trusted where failure is permanent.

Making AI Possible:Building Inclusive AI: Lessons Learned from Production - Feb 2026

Making AI Possible:Building Inclusive AI: Lessons Learned from Production - Feb 2026 Welcome to the Making AI Possible Podcast—your monthly deep dive into the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and how they’re shaping the world around us. Produced at Caltech in Pasadena, California, this series features in-depth conversations with the people driving AI innovation forward. In our second episode of Making AI Possible for Season 2, Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin, sits down with Will Croushorn, MBA, a leader behind Wendy’s FreshAi initiative, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping one of the most iconic retail experiences: the drive-thru. Will shares how his team moved from experimental pilots to production-grade systems, the unexpected challenges and “aha” moments along the way, and the technical complexity behind building AI that can operate in noisy, real-world environments at massive scale. We explore how technology is advancing accessibility and inclusion—from language support to physical-ability considerations—and what this democratization of AI means for the future of retail. Will also offers candid advice on measuring ROI in operational AI systems, and a forward-looking view of what’s next as AI begins to mirror the human customer experience. Will Croushorn, MBA currently leads FreshAi at Wendy's, one of the world's largest deployments of generative AI in a physical retail environment. He focuses on taking AI from "hype" to revenue-generating operational reality and produced a 0-to-1 pilot to a mass deployment across 600+ enterprise locations, achieving ~99% order initiation success and ~95% autonomous handle rate. In addition, Will has pioneered the "Digital Drive-Thru," turning offline voice data into structured business intelligence to optimize operations in real-time. He worked in SaaS innovation for logistics and recruiting, and spent 5 years leading international development operations in the Middle East. Will thrives in ambiguity and specializes in translating complex technical capabilities into intuitive, human-centric user experiences. ♦ As Caltech CTME's Affiliate Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin intersects strategic program development with hands-on curriculum design, positioning AI/ML education programs at the forefront of technological transformation. Leading the AI programs at Caltech's Center for Technology & Management Education, Nicholas' focus is on delivering impactful learning experiences tailored to a diverse clientele, including private and public sectors, as well as government and non-profit organizations.

Making AI Possible-Adversarial Uses of Artificial Intelligence-January-2026

Adversarial Uses of Artificial Intelligence "We don’t fear AI because it’s smarter than us. We fear it because it doesn’t care about us." Welcome to the Making AI Possible Podcast—your monthly deep dive into the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and how they’re shaping the world around us. Produced at Caltech in Pasadena, California, this series features in-depth conversations with the people driving AI innovation forward. In our first Making AI Possible episode of Season 2, Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin, sits down with Rob Petrosino, AI Consultant for the US Government, to explore the challenges of AI. Adversarial uses of AI represent a fundamental shift in the security landscape, where threats are no longer isolated, human-paced, or easily detectable, but instead scalable, automated, and designed to manipulate trust itself. Rob Petrosino draws on his work advising the U.S. government and industry leaders to explain how AI-powered deception, influence operations, and machine-speed attacks are changing what it means to defend organizations, institutions, and society. To secure your spot, register below. We look forward to seeing you there! With over 10 years of experience in emerging technologies, Rob Petrosino focuses on driving innovation and digital transformation. As Chief Innovation Officer at PeakActivity, Rob leads initiatives in generative AI, augmented reality, and machine learning, crafting strategies that integrate cutting-edge technologies into tangible business solutions. His contributions include developing technology roadmaps, exploring intellectual property opportunities, and fostering innovation in collaboration with cross-functional teams. In his role as Artificial Intelligence Consultant for the US Government, Rob focuses on advancing responsible AI adoption and forging partnerships to strengthen national security. His work emphasizes leveraging AI and digital tools to address cybersecurity challenges and create secure communication channels. Passionate about ethical AI implementation, Rob's mission is to harness technology to drive meaningful impact across public and private sectors. ♦ As Caltech CTME's Affiliate Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin intersects strategic program development with hands-on curriculum design, positioning AI/ML education programs at the forefront of technological transformation. Leading the AI programs at Caltech's Center for Technology & Management Education, Nicholas' focus is on delivering impactful learning experiences tailored to a diverse clientele, including private and public sectors, as well as government and non-profit organizations. ♦