November 4, 2026
The Physical AI Revolution Starts With a Reality Check
Physical AI promises smarter, more autonomous operations. WWT's Shane Kehoe and GrayMatter Chief Revenue Officer Alan Hinchman explain why realizing that vision requires manufacturers to confront aging infrastructure, fragmented data and the challenge of earning trust on the factory floor.
The promise of physical AI is enormous: smarter factories, less downtime and operations that can increasingly make decisions autonomously.
But manufacturers face a difficult reality. Decades-old equipment, fragmented data and cybersecurity vulnerabilities stand between today's production lines and tomorrow's intelligent operations. And when downtime costs thousands of dollars per minute, experimentation carries real consequences.
On the AI Proving Ground Podcast, GrayMatter Chief Revenue Officer Alan Hinchman and WWT Manufacturing Practice Manager Shane Kehoe explain why successful AI adoption isn't about pursuing every possibility. It's about identifying valuable problems, aligning IT and operational teams, modernizing foundations and building trust through measurable results.
The lesson: Autonomy must be earned.
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About the AI Proving Ground Podcast:
AI deployment and adoption are complex. The AI Proving Ground Podcast makes them actionable. Join top experts, IT leaders and innovators as we explore AI's toughest challenges, uncover real-world case studies and reveal practical insights that drive AI ROI. From strategy to execution, we break down what works (and what doesn't) in enterprise AI. New episodes are available every week.
Featured speakers
GrayMatter
Chief Revenue Officer
World Wide Technology
Practice Manager, Manufacturing