RM 187: An Academic Look at Al in Electronics Manufacturing: Where It Works, Fails, and Why It Matters

RM 187: An Academic Look at Al in Electronics Manufacturing: Where It Works, Fails, and Why It Matters

From PCB Chat by PCEA

April 16, 2026 · 59 min · Episode 362

About this episode

The episode discusses the role of artificial intelligence in electronics manufacturing from the perspective of engineers and professors rather than traditional AI experts.

Artificial intelligence is being promoted as the next revolution in electronics manufacturing, but what happens when the people evaluating it aren’t traditional AI experts, aren’t software vendors, and aren’t selling anything? Today’s conversation brings together engineers and professors who live at the intersection of education, reliability, and real-world manufacturing to separate meaningful progress from speculation.This episode is all about “AI in Action: Progress, Pitfalls, and the Future of Electronics.” Artificial intelligence is becoming a frequent topic in electronics manufacturing—from inspection and process optimization to predictive maintenance and reliability modeling. But rather than approaching this conversation from the standpoint of AI evangelists or software developers, we’re taking a different path. Mike Konrad's panelists are Eva Hymes, Hayden Lee, Dr. Ron Lasky, Dr. John Evans, and Dr. Pradeep Lall. None of today’s panelists claims to be AI experts. Instead, they are engineers and professors who sit at the intersection of education, engineering, and real-world manufacturing challenges. Their perspective is grounded in physics, data, reliability science, and…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Konrad

Guests: Eva Hymes, Hayden Lee, Dr. Ron Lasky, Dr. John Evans, Dr. Pradeep Lall

Topics covered

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Electronics Manufacturing
  • Education
  • Reliability
  • Engineering
  • Real-world Manufacturing

Keywords

  • AI in Electronics
  • Manufacturing
  • Reliability Science
  • Process Optimization
  • Predictive Maintenance
  • Engineering Education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: PCEA

More episodes of PCB Chat

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the PCB Chat podcast page.