Episode 45 20 Years Before ChatGPT: Neural Networks, Custom Chips & the Future of AI with Samer

Episode 45 20 Years Before ChatGPT: Neural Networks, Custom Chips & the Future of AI with Samer

Long before ChatGPT made headlines, Samer Hijazi was already deep in AI, from his 2000 thesis on neural networks to designing custom silicon at Tensilica. In this episode, he traces the real turning points of AI history, explains how attention mechanisms changed everything, and reveals how his company AZcare is building AI-powered voice agents for call centers with a candid discussion on AI risk, bias at scale, and why misuse is a human problem, not a machine one.

Episode 44 Heart Failure Treatment Breakthroughs: A Conversation with Ayla Annac

Heart failure is still one of the world’s leading causes of death, yet investment and innovation continue to lag behind cancer research. Ayla Annac explains why large-scale cardiac trials keep failing, how AI could radically improve patient targeting, and why the future of precision medicine depends on collaboration between pharma, hospitals, software teams, and regulators. From clinical trial design to patient data ethics, the conversation explores what it will take to finally modernize cardiac drug development.

Episode 43 Warehouse Automation's Future: AI Forklifts & Humanoid Robots with Chuck Stovall

Trailer loading has remained one of the hardest problems in warehouse automation. Chuck Stovall explains how NAVFLEX is building AI-powered robots that navigate chaotic, constantly changing environments with near-human precision. From sensor costs collapsing to the race toward humanoids, the conversation digs into what’s accelerating robotics, what’s still slowing adoption, and why data, not hardware, may become the industry’s biggest advantage.

Episode 42 Nanotechnology in Oil & Gas: The Future of Drilling Innovation with Vitaly Sergeev

Phil sits down with Vitaly Sergeev, founder of Nanoborne, to explore what happens when cutting-edge nanotechnology meets one of the world's most risk-averse industries. Vitaly breaks down why oil & gas resists change, how flow control is reshaping field development, and what it took to spend six years turning a lab-built nanoemulsion into a real market product. They also cover the challenges of breaking into the conservative US energy market and how AI and machine learning are helping them scale and survive long adoption cycles.

Episode 41 Bridging the Gap: Navigating Energy Investments in Latin America with Warren Levy

Warren Levy, a longtime energy sector professional, reflects on re-entering the field to connect investors with Latin American opportunities. He covers the region's investment landscape, geopolitical influences, cultural considerations, and the link between energy policy and socioeconomic progress. The discussion also explores community engagement, AI's growing role in energy, and biodiversity as a meaningful project success metric.