Dr. Mital Kanabar is the Senior Director of Innovation, Grid Automation, Grid Solutions at GE Vernova. He joins our podcast to discuss the explosive electricity demand driven by electric vehicles, AI data centers, and the general electrification of industries. This increased demand puts a strain on an aging infrastructure, necessitating new solutions to ensure a reliable and resilient power supply.

Check out this engaging conversation that touches on a number of important topics, including:

Decarbonization and Green Electrons: The push to generate electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar, and nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions.

Software-Defined Automation: The shift from rigid, hardware-based grid control to flexible, software-driven systems like GE Vernova's GridBeats platform, which uses AI and machine learning.

Bi-Directional Power Flow: The concept of "prosumers," where consumers of electricity, such as electric vehicle owners, can also supply power back to the grid.

Cybersecurity in the Digital Grid: The increasing importance of protecting the power grid from cyberattacks as it becomes more digitized and interconnected.

Christopher Savoie, the founder and CEO of Zapata Computing, has had a fascinating career journey. After beginning as a young programmer working with early computers, he switched gears to immunology and biophysics in Japan and is now founding AI companies. Along the way, he was also involved in creating the foundational technology for Apple Siri, working on early language models embedded in agents to solve complex natural language problems.

In this interview with our host, Daniel Bogdanoff, Savoie highlights the evolution of AI into specialized systems. Like an orchestra, small, task-specific models working in ensembles are more effective than large, monolithic ones.

He also shares how AI transforms automotive, motorsports, and grid management industries. Savoie recounts his experiences at Nissan with predictive battery analytics and Andretti Autosport, where AI-driven simulations optimize race strategies.

Savoy warned about the potential misuse of AI and big data, advocating for ethical considerations, especially around privacy and government control. Despite these challenges, he remains optimistic about AI's potential, expressing a desire for tools to handle complex personal organization tasks, such as multi-modal time and travel management.

In this interview, our Moore’s Lobby host, Daniel Bogdanoff, chats with Rodger Richey, Vice President of Development Tools and Academic Programs at Microchip Technology. Rodger shares how his passion for engineering began with childhood curiosity, dismantling and repairing devices like a microwave. Those early hands-on experiences laid the foundation for his electrical engineering career, which started with designing underwater electronics for the U.S. Navy.

Rodger discusses the evolution of development tools and the growing complexity of embedded systems over his 30-year tenure at Microchip. He emphasizes the importance of creating accessible and user-friendly tools, such as IDEs and development boards, to help developers tackle increasingly sophisticated projects. The integration of AI into development workflows is a major milestone, enabling enhanced productivity and better debugging.

Rodger also highlights his involvement in academia, spearheading initiatives like virtual internships and hands-on learning programs to better prepare students for industry roles. By providing real-world tools and fostering collaboration, these programs aim to bridge the gap between theoretical education and practical application.

Rodger attributes his longevity at Microchip to its strong values, collaborative culture, and dedication to innovation, which have remained consistent even as the company has grown significantly.