Prof. Michael Beebe, veteran mechanical engineering leader and educator, joins Dr. Maor Farid to explore how AI is transforming engineering education — not in theory, but in real classrooms.

Drawing on decades of experience in industry and academia, Prof. Beebe shares how he redesigned his curriculum to combine hands-on engineering fundamentals with real-world problem solving. He explains why communication, teamwork, and decision-making matter just as much as equations — and how modern engineers must learn to navigate uncertainty.

The conversation goes deep into AI adoption in academia: how students react to engineering-grade AI tools, why AI should be treated as a “team member” rather than a threat, and what happened when his students redesigned a bridge using Leo AI alongside classical methods.

Prof. Beebe also lays out a clear vision for the next decade in engineering education: why graduating students without exposure to AI will soon be unthinkable, how accreditation bodies may evolve, and what future engineers must understand before entering the workforce.

If you care about the intersection of AI, engineering practice, and education, this conversation offers a grounded and practical perspective — without hype.

Gregg Bennett, Director & Co-Founder of Sketch Design Consultancy, joins Dr. Maor Farid to unpack how AI is actually changing mechanical engineering teams in the real world — without the hype.

Gregg explains how his consultancy used AI to take on a complex cryogenic engineering challenge outside their core expertise, and how the right tools reduced research time from weeks to hours while increasing team confidence.

The conversation goes deep into adoption strategy: why perceived risk is often higher than actual risk, how AI enables small consultancies to scale capabilities, and why maintaining engineering integrity requires a strong “human in the loop” mindset.

Gregg also shares how AI improves onboarding of junior engineers, accelerates documentation workflows, and enables teams to confidently say, “no, we can do this,” when facing unfamiliar technical domains.

If you want a grounded, experience-based look at AI adoption in mechanical engineering, this episode delivers exactly that.

Ayora Berry, VP of AI Product Management at PTC, joins Dr. Maor Farid to unpack how AI will actually change mechanical engineering, without the hype.

Ayora lays out a clear framework for the next decade in industrial software: three horizons. The conversation also gets practical about adoption: why data foundations matter, how to choose safe first use cases, and why “read” use cases build trust faster than “write.”

Ayora closes with advice for young engineers and PMs: learn the fundamentals, talk to users, and use AI to move faster with better judgment.

Dr. Roland Zelles shares his extensive experience in mechanical design and the impact of AI on the engineering industry.

He discusses his career journey, the evolution of technology, and the importance of embracing AI as a tool for productivity and innovation.

Dr. Zelles emphasizes the need for engineers to adapt to new technologies and offers valuable advice for engineering leaders on how to integrate AI into their workflows. He also highlights the unique capabilities of Leo AI and its role in shaping the future of engineering.

Maor Farid, CEO of Leo AI, discusses the integration of AI in mechanical engineering with guest John McEleney, co-founder of Onshape (PTC) and former CEO of SolidWorks.

John shares his vision for how AI in CAD and AI tools for engineers are transforming product development and the future of design.

The conversation explores the challenges engineers face, the role of AI in boosting productivity, and real-world applications of Leo AI.

John offers insights into the evolution of CAD technologies and what’s next for engineering with AI. The session also emphasizes the importance of community feedback and continuous learning as teams adopt new tools.

In this first episode, Maor Farid hosts Bertrand Sicot and talks about how AI is improving CAD and PLM workflows and efficiency. Bertrand shares his experience from the early days of CAD and how he sees the future of our industry.

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