AI should not be judged only by how advanced it is. It should also be judged by who it helps and who its designers remembered to include.

In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks with Karen Panetta, Distinguished Professor and Dean for Graduate Education at Tufts University and founder of Nerd Girls, about using engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence to solve problems with real human impact.

Karen traces that philosophy back to student projects involving a solar car and Thacher Island, where her team helped power historic lighthouses with solar energy. The goal was never simply to build one car or install one system. It was to show young engineers that the same technical skills could move from one application to another and improve people’s lives.

That approach now runs through her work in food safety, firefighting, traffic management, marine health, infrastructure, and assistive technology. Some projects have become startups, while others serve populations too small to attract traditional investment. Karen explains why universities remain essential when an important problem does not come with an obvious market.

The conversation also explores her early work at Digital Equipment Corporation, the simulation tools that helped lay the foundation for digital twins, and the moment at NASA Langley when software she was accustomed to testing in isolation began controlling real jet and propulsion hardware.

Brian and Karen also discuss bias in physical AI, accessibility, and the business cost of designing for only one kind of user. From early crash-test dummies to modern interfaces, Karen argues that excluding people with different bodies, abilities, or ways of learning is both a design failure and a missed market.

Her larger message is simple: engineering is not reserved for people who fit one academic mold. Creativity, imagination, determination, and a willingness to work across disciplines are what turn technology into meaningful change.

Learn more about Karen Panetta at Tufts University:
https://engineering.tufts.edu/about/undergraduate-and-graduate-deans/dean-karen-panetta

Learn more about Nerd Girls:
https://nerdgirls.com/

Explore Karen Panetta’s research:
https://www.karenpanetta.com/

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Reach us at podcast@automate.org

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Karen Panetta on Digital Twins, Inclusive AI and Engineering for Impact

Automated with Brian Heater

Karen Panetta on Digital Twins, Inclusive AI and Engineering for Impact