Making AI Possible

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

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 07:00:00 +0000

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

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 08:00:00 +0000

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

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

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. ♦

Making AI Possible - Keys to Thriving in an AI-Driven World - December 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Keys to Thriving in an AI-Driven World Problem-solving skills in AI creation are not just an asset: they are critical for success. 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 December 2 session of Making AI Possible, Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin, sits down with Todd Masilko, Chair of Interaction Design at ArtCenter College of Design to explore the challenges of AI. A consistent pattern is emerging across AI-impacted professions. From creative fields to computer science and data engineering, AI can generate polished output, but foundational understanding and strong problem-solving remain the differentiators that matter. Here’s a preview of what we’ll jump into: • How AI is reshaping creative workflows and early-career roles • Why process and problem-solving are becoming key hiring signals • How education must adapt when polished work can be generated with AI • Why human judgment and taste remain essential in an AI-driven industry This is a conversation you won’t want to miss! To secure your spot, register below. We look forward to seeing you there! Todd Masilko is Chair of the Interaction Design Department at ArtCenter College of Design. The Interaction Design curriculum at ArtCenter emphasizes human centered design methods, tools, processes as well as the impacts and opportunities presented by technologies such as virtual environments and Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning on the practice of user experience design. The department is also home to the Immersion Lab, where students and faculty work with a range of emerging technologies including XR, AI, Machine Learning, and virtual production often in multidisciplinary teams. As an instructor, Masilko has collaborated with industry partners including, Adobe, Amazon, Dell, DiDi Chuxing, Microsoft, NIO, Google, Honda, Koenig & Bauer, the Aquarium of the Pacific the Sundance Film Festival and Volvo. ♦ 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 - The Security Episode - November 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:00:00 +0000

We'll talk about the questions that every leader should be asking right now:

Hacker vs. Cybercriminal: When AI joins the fight, do we face a new category? An AI Cyberhacker, or something even more autonomous?
Securing the Foundations of AI: Why data integrity and trust are the real first lines of defense for both traditional and LLM-based systems.
The Hidden Infrastructure: Protecting AI’s compute backbone from invisible threats.
Adversarial AI: The rise of offensive machine learning, and what happens when the model becomes the weapon.
The Human Factor: Building a security-first AI culture that does not rely on a few experts, but everyone.
The future of responsible AI depends on one thing: treating cybersecurity not as a barrier, but as an enabler

Ismael Montañez “Ish” is a Cybersecurity Engineer, Ethical Hacker, and Purple Team Specialist with over six years of experience protecting AI-driven systems and cloud environments. He holds two bachelor’s degrees in Cyber Forensics with Network Security and Digital Media, blending technical precision with creative problem solving to design resilient security architectures. Before entering the private sector, Ish served as a Military Intelligence Sergeant, managing classified intelligence operations and developing expertise in threat analysis and secure information handling. He also spent four years in the financial industry, conducting IT and Linux forensics to safeguard critical data and digital assets. Ismael currently works at a leading artificial intelligence company, where he focuses on cybersecurity engineering, cloud security and engineering, AI security and oversight, and proactive defense strategies. His mission is to bridge the gap between human ingenuity and machine intelligence ensuring that innovation in AI remains secure, ethical, and resilient. ♦

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: Science, Storytelling, and Culture: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Leadership -October 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Bridging the Gap Between Research and Leadership 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. This podcast series features the latest AI advancements with some of the brightest minds in the field, such as groundbreaking research from AI industry leaders, labs here on campus, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages for NASA. In our October 7 session of Making AI Possible, Director of AI Programs, Nicholas Beaudoin, sits down with Dr. Crystal Dilworth, Caltech PhD, global science communicator, and host of the 100+ year Watson Lecture series, about the evolving intersection of science communication and artificial intelligence. They discuss what AI can and cannot solve in bridging the gap between research and leadership, share stories of AI as both a personal collaborator and a team thought partner, and explore how AI systems carry cultural assumptions into the workplace and beyond. From training scientists to lead in entrepreneurial spaces, to weighing whether enterprise AI choices reflect or reshape organizational values, this conversation challenges us to consider how the tools we deploy shape the future we want to build. Dr. Crystal Dilworth, AAAS IF/THEN Ambassador for STEM, is an international voice for science, strategic communicator, and non-profit board member. She received her PhD from the Caltech division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in 2014 and for the last decade has worked as a science communicator, television correspondent, and start-up advisor. She is host of the historic Watson Lectures series at Caltech, and can also be found on networks including Voice of America, Al Jazeera, and CBS. Off-screen, Dr. Dilworth works closely with academic groups and early stage start-ups, training faculty and founders in public speaking, leadership communication, and storytelling. She is an advisor for the AI working group of the Future Talent Council, helping build best practices for AI integration into higher ed and executive leadership environments, and the start-up software company Instill.ai, building the world's first AI powered "culture operating system". ♦ 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:From Stars to Code: AI in the Hunt for Planet -September 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:41:43 +0000

Konstantin Batygin a planetary scientist and professor at Caltech, where he focuses on the dynamics of planets, planetary formation, and celestial mechanics. His work includes theoretical research on the solar system's planets as well as broader studies on exoplanet formation and evolution. In addition to astrophysics, Konstantin is passionate about music and regularly make noises with his band, The Seventh Season. Learn more: gps.caltech.edu/people/konstantin-batygin ♦

Making AI Possible: In Space! - August 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:57:25 +0000

Manuel Gonzalez-Rivero has spent a career exploring remote sensing, machine learning, data science and computer vision on a variety of orbital and terrestrial platforms. An Alum of Carnegie Mellon University, he worked at General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin building real time satellite payloads, teaching and working on remote sensing at ARL-PSU, building global machine learning pipelines at Planet Labs, Orbital Insight, and Maxar Technologies, and Directing AI/ML Execution at the Aerospace Corporation. As director of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Aerospace Corporation, Manuel coordinates with teams to consult a variety of government customers on a wide base of missions related to space. His team has focused on the creation of a development stack that simplifies the complexities of creating, training, and deploying machine learning capabilities that can educate and inform government stakeholders on data that is relevant to their missions in meaningful environments.

Making AI Possible: Inside Baseball: How Machine Learning is Applied in an MLB Front Office - July 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Tue, 8 Jul 2025 16:11:07 +0000

This podcast series features the latest AI advancements with some of the brightest minds in the field, such as groundbreaking research from AI industry leaders, labs here on campus, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which Caltech manages for NASA. Discover how cutting-edge research is being applied to transform and streamline healthcare, energy, manufacturing, and finance. Tune in to discover how the latest research becomes transformative technology.

Richard Anderson is the Director of Quantitative Analysis for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is a data scientist with a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Before joining the Dodgers, he worked as a Senior Data Scientist at Warner Bros. Discovery and as the Director of Baseball Analytics for the Cincinnati Reds. He also has experience with the Los Angeles Angels and has expertise in R, Python, SQL, and stan. Richard is passionate about education, statistics, casual inference, experimentation and his dog, Ralphie. ♦

Making AI Possible:Taking ML from Space to Industry-June 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Tue, 3 Jun 2025 23:32:00 +0000

Welcome to the Making AI Possible Podcast—your new 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.

Dr. Matthew Graham, Research Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology received his MA in Physics from the University of Oxford and his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. After a postdoc at Imperial College London, he came to Caltech in 2003, initially as a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar and then transitioning to a Computational Scientist within the Center for Advanced Computing Research. He has been a Member of the Professional Staff at Caltech and in 2017, he became research faculty in astronomy. Matthew has extensive experience in large sky surveys and their computational challenges, particularly the application of machine learning and advanced statistical methodologies to astrophysical problems. Matthew is currently the co-PI and Project Scientist for the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), the first of a next generation of time-domain sky surveys producing hundreds of thousands of public transient alerts per night. He also has ongoing research projects on real-time low latency inferencing— real-time AI at scale —the application of reinforcement learning to optimize follow-up observations of short lived phenomena, the development of neural differential models for modeling black holes, and the functional analysis modeling of multivariate time series. ♦

Making AI Possible: From Research to Application -May 2025

ctme@caltech.edu (Caltech CTME) — Tue, 6 May 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Caltech Affiliate Director of AI Programs Nicholas Beaudoin, talks with special guest Dr. Georgia Gkioxari on the subject, From Research to Application, where they discuss how research applies to industry use cases and their direct applications.

Dr. Georgia Gkioxari, PhD
Assistant Professor at the Computing + Mathematical Sciences at Caltech

Dr. Gkioxari obtained her PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley, where she was advised by Jitendra Malik. Prior to Berkeley, she earned her diploma from the National Technical University of Athens in Greece. After earning her PhD, she was a research scientist at Meta's FAIR team. In 2021, she received the PAMI Young Researcher Award, which recognizes a young researcher for their distinguished research contribution to computer vision. Dr. Gkioxari the recipient of the PAMI Mark Everingham Award for the open-source software suite Detectron (2021), the Google Faculty Award (2024) and the Okawa Research Award (2024). In 2017, Dr. Gkioxari and her co-authors received the Marr Prize for “Mask R-CNN” published and presented at ICCV. She was named one of 30 influential women advancing AI in 2019 by ReWork and was nominated for the Women in AI Awards in 2020 by VentureBeat. ♦