Talk Title: “Physical AI: The Next Wave of Artificial Intelligence” by Dr. William Kao
Date: Wedn Sept 10, 2025 6:30 - 8:30 PM, at ITRI 2880 Zanker Suite 103. Seminar talk will start at 7PM.
The Zoom link for the seminar is as follows:
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https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82746765328
Meeting ID: 827 4676 5328
Seminar Talk: “Physical AI: The Next Wave of Artificial Intelligence” by Dr. William Kao
Abstract: At this year’s GPU Technical Conference (March 17, 2025) Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang introduced the concept of Physical AI.
Artificial Intelligence has been evolving from Perception AI (e.g., image and speech recognition), through Generative AI (e.g., text and image synthesis), and Agentic AI (e.g., task planning and decision-making), to the next frontier of Physical AI, where intelligent systems are embodied in robots that combine perception, generation, and agency to act and adapt in the real world. Physical AI understands the laws of physics and can autonomously perform complex tasks in the real world.
Physical AI represents a powerful convergence of AI algorithms, robotics, sensor technologies, and real-time control systems. It represents a significant leap from purely digital AI models to embodied intelligence, where cognition and action are seamlessly integrated.
In this talk Dr. Kao will present an overview of Physical AI, its architecture, characteristics, components and how it works. He will discuss PAI practical applications across sectors such as healthcare (assistive robots), manufacturing (intelligent automation), logistics (warehouse robotics), and personal services (home assistants).
Finally, he will explore what the future holds for Physical AI. Could it be the bridge to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), where machines not only think, but also act with purpose in the real world?
Speaker Bio:
Dr. William Kao received his BSEE, MSEE and PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He worked in the Semiconductor and Electronic Design Automation industries for more than 30 years holding several senior and Executive engineering management positions at Texas Instruments, Xerox Corporation, and Cadence Design Systems.
Dr. Kao has authored more than 40 technical papers on IC CAD at IEEE Journals and Conferences and holds eight US software and IC design patents. He was an Adjunct Professor at UCLA Electrical Engineering Department where he taught courses in computer aided IC design.
Dr. Kao is a Senior Member of IEEE and was one of the founding members of IEEE-Circuits and Systems - Silicon Valley Chapter.
Dr. Kao teaches Clean Technology and Emerging Technology courses at the University of California Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley Extension.
He has given more than 100 technical seminars on various Emerging Technologies including Clean Technology, Renewable Energy, Big Data and Data Analytics, IoT, Smart Cities, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Robotics, Drones, AI / Machine Learning, Robotics, 5G, 3D Printing, the Metaverse and Satellite Communications.