E7. Physical AI: Teaching Machines to Act, Not Just Think

In this episode, join AWS host Jerry Tejada and expert guest David Randle, AWS Physical AI Worldwide Strategy Lead, as they explore the cutting edge of autonomous systems and the technology enabling AI to move beyond digital content into real-world action. With 19 years pioneering 3D technology—from pioneering real-time ray tracing for industrial design at Bunkspeed and SolidWorks to leading the spatial computing strategy at AWS—David shares how his five-year journey at AWS building spatial computing capabilities has led to this pivotal moment: the emergence of Physical AI. Discover how this technology enables autonomous systems to perceive, understand, and act in the physical world, transforming everything from manufacturing floors and smart buildings to emergency response systems and wearable devices. Learn about the complete Physical AI virtuous cycle—a six-stage blueprint connecting data capture, AI model training, digital twin simulation, and edge deployment that's addressing the biggest challenges in autonomous systems development, from multimodal data management and model tuning to secure deployment at scale.

The discussion reveals exclusive details about AWS's comprehensive approach to Physical AI, featuring the revolutionary virtuous cycle that creates two critical loops: a training loop living in the cloud for efficient model development and simulation, and an autonomy loop operating at the edge for real-time sensing and action. Explore emerging AI model types like World Foundation Models (WFMs) that generate synthetic environments, Vision-Language-Action models (VLAs) that drive robotic behavior, and Large Behavioral Models that predict hazards before they occur. The conversation covers real-world applications across automotive manufacturing, energy utilities, healthcare systems, and agriculture—all contributing to what's being called the autonomous economy, a multi-trillion dollar transformation already underway.

Whether you are a manufacturing executive, robotics engineer, digital transformation leader, IoT architect, or technology enthusiast interested in autonomous systems and the future of AI in the physical world, this episode offers invaluable insights into how Physical AI is reshaping industries and society. Built on AWS's secure infrastructure and powered by years of spatial computing innovation, AI is making the leap from generating content to taking action—and 2026 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for autonomous systems at scale.