Robots, Glam, and Manufacturing Grit: My Day at AMBay Area Summit 2026

I thoroughly enjoyed the AMBay Area Summit 2026. I felt the commitment in the room, as this group strongly supports the industry and helps the next generation of talent.  They are my kind of people! 

They brought together 200+ manufacturers to connect, learn, and push our industry forward, and the energy in the room was incredible. I met many new connections, good for both business and future friends.

Since we gave out Almond Roca, there was a big thank-you mention from the stage. It is good to know the Almond Roca from MaRCTech2 was appreciated.

Below are a few takeaways from the event.

Core Thesis (The Message Most Headlines Miss)

Humanoid robots are currently riding a wave of peak hype,  with dramatic predictions that they will replace 50% or more of human jobs in the next few years. Using real-world robot production data and historical comparisons to past technology revolutions, Andra Keay delivered a clear reality check:

“Humanoids are not about to take all our jobs, not in five years and not in twenty.”

The far more important story is the workforce shift happening right now that most people are overlooking. Robots are not job killers; they are workforce multipliers.

Session Theme & a Big-Picture Question

AI is rapidly taking robotics out of the lab and bringing it into every area of business and daily life. The central question we must ask is:

“What does this mean for us as people?”

Amazon as an example:

Amazon is both the 2nd largest private employer in the United States and ALSO the largest robotics “employer” or user of robotics.

What We Can Learn ( and apply this to AI as well)

• Don’t fear robots in your workplace. If your company already has robots, it is actively future-proofing its operations.
• Be concerned if your company is not investing in robots; it may mean they are not staying current and are missing the chance to future-proof the business.

Robots are designed for the “dirty, dull,  and dangerous” jobs. Humans no longer need to perform these tasks, freeing people for higher-value, safer, and more creative work.

Breakout sessions - Important Insights & Reminders

• Insights are more valuable than what you see on the surface.
• When a company uses AI tools, it owns all AI outputs. Therefore, it is critical to properly train employees on the responsible and effective use.
• AI does not make you better; it makes you faster.

Jungkeun Hong and Carbyn AI

I met Jungkeun Hong at the event. He is one of my favorite new connections.

I am super excited about his start-up, Carbyn AI, because it will solve SO many problems I’ve personally witnessed in the manufacturing environment. Especially in workforce development and the tired old topic of “how do we capture that tribal knowledge,”  I did some “matchmaking” for Jungkeun Hong - introduced him to Zack for some real manufacturing shop floor beta testing. 

I’m excited to see how his idea comes to fruition.

Christine Holly Ngo, MBA

I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet Christine Holly Ngo, MBA,  in person.

She was the MC at the event. I feel like we have much in common - starting with her perfect combination of glam and manufacturing energy! She is running her family’s machine shop in California.

I have my Dad’s manufacturing blood running through my veins, especially the CNC corner, since he literally wrote the book “Machining and CNC Technology,” so I have a special appreciation for Christine’s excellence!

Congratulations to the 2026 AMBayArea Member of the Year, ALOM!

ALOM was named AMBayArea Member of the Year during the AMBayArea MFG Awards at the Chabot Space & Science Center.

I expect to be back in 2027!

Your call or email is very welcome,

Warm regards,