In this episode of Forged in Focus, Jon Ward sits down with Ross Hartmann, Founder and CEO of Kiingo AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way companies operate and what manufacturers should be doing now to prepare for what comes next. Ross breaks down why leaders need to stop thinking about AI as simply another piece of software and start looking at it as a new form of digital labor. The conversation explores AI agents, connecting AI to company data, the race toward artificial general intelligence, the growing role of robotics and where manufacturers can find practical opportunities to put AI to work today.

Jon and Ross also discuss how leadership teams can build an AI-ready culture, why successful adoption has to start at the executive level and what a practical 12-month AI roadmap can look like for a manufacturing company. They also look ahead at how AI could reshape jobs, skilled trades, the factory floor and the role humans will continue to play as the technology advances.