EVENT LAUNCH - NETWORKING & LIVE PODCAST
Thursday, January 21, 2026

Daren Fields, Co-Founder and CEO of Virtual Select, shares how manufacturers and business leaders can apply AI without losing control of quality, judgment, or accountability. Daren explains why augmented intelligence, not full automation, is the winning approach, and how pairing human expertise with AI systems helps prevent defects, reduce scrap, and stop recalls before they happen.

He also breaks down how AI is reshaping commercialization and complex sales, why buyers now arrive informed, and how leaders can use AI to accelerate preparation and decision-making while staying grounded in trust, discipline, and real business fundamentals.

Daren explains why the ‘hype cycle’ is fading and why manufacturers want autonomy without turning into AI agent builders. He states that “AI touches everything, but doesn’t fix anything” without humans in the loop. This episode is a practical roadmap for modernizing manufacturing with augmented intelligence.

INSIGHT #1

Reinvent - Modernize Manufacturing with Augmented Intelligence
This episode explores how manufacturers can reinvent operations by using AI as augmentation rather than replacement. By pairing human expertise with intelligent systems, teams can reduce defects, scrap, and recalls while improving performance on the shop floor.

INSIGHT #2

Experiment - Build Autonomy without Becoming a Software Company
This episode emphasizes a Goldilocks approach to AI with systems tailored to your operation and supported by the right partners. It starts with data visibility and builds toward predictive ML and AI to catch issues before they become costly.

INSIGHT #3

Execute - Focus on Outcomes, Trust, and Value Architecture
This episode underscores using AI to accelerate research, preparation, and decision-making while keeping humans accountable for final judgment. Success is measured by real operational value like quality, uptime, throughput, and reduced risk, not buzzwords or tool hype.

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AI Augments the Shop Floor, It Does Not Replace It
Daren frames AI as augmentation for carbon-based teams, with silicon-based systems supporting better decisions and faster reactions on the line. The goal is not fewer humans, it is stronger humans with better tools.

High Resolution Beats After-the-Fact Resolution
Most manufacturers go into “resolve mode” after defects, returns, or recalls show up downstream. Virtual Select focuses on “high resolution” detection on the line, catching drift early before it becomes scrap, shutdowns, or recalls.

Start with Data Capture and Visibility First
The first unlock is collecting shop floor data and getting visibility into what is happening in real time. Once the data foundation is there, predictive ML and AI agents can flag warning signs early while issues are still fixable.

The Buyer Already Knows the Basics
Daren’s take is that buyers now arrive with 80 percent of the product knowledge before the first meeting. The job is not education, it is discovery, clarity, and connecting the solution to the real problem inside the business.

Trust Wins More Than Tactics
He emphasizes earning trust through validation, preparation, and honest problem solving, not manipulation or scripted closing. His point is simple: if value is clear and risk is reduced, you do not “close,” you finalize.

AI Speeds Preparation, Humans Own the Outcome
AI can accelerate research, rehearsal, and meeting prep, especially for complex sales cycles. But accountability stays with the human, especially when decisions involve high stakes, multiple stakeholders, and real operational impact.

Over-Reliance Is the Real Risk
Daren warns against outsourcing judgment to AI, especially in environments where mistakes are expensive or dangerous. AI can help you move faster, but it cannot replace responsibility.

Collaboration Is the Skill to Build
He frames the next wave as learning to collaborate with AI at every level, from executives to operators. The winners will be the teams that pair autonomy with strong methods, clear workflows, and human oversight.

Ethics Start With Humans
His view is that ethical or unethical outcomes come from the people giving directives, not the model itself. Guardrails matter, but culture and intent matter first.

Go Fast Where It Counts, Go Slow Where It Matters
His motorsports analogy is that speed comes from knowing when to push and when to be methodical. AI can help you accelerate execution, but you still need discipline in team decisions, partnerships, and strategy.

Human Connection Still Anchors Performance
He encourages founders to step away from the screen, reconnect with people, and reset mentally. The message is that entrepreneurs cannot afford long spirals, so they need routines that bring clarity back quickly.

Alexa
Used as an analogy to explain how early AI assistants were positioned to manufacturers as “Alexa on steroids.”

Amazon Web Services
Referenced as foundational infrastructure behind early AI assistants that were later verticalized for enterprise and manufacturing use cases.

Apex 8
Daren’s commercialization framework, discussed as a trust-based approach to selling complex AI and industrial solutions without manipulation.

Apple Podcasts
Mentioned as one of the primary platforms where listeners can follow and listen to The AI Space Podcast.

GPT / AI Agents
Discussed as tools used for research, rehearsal, fundraising preparation, and accelerating commercialization while keeping humans accountable.

GPU
Referenced to explain the hardware advances that enabled large-scale AI and faster algorithmic processing.

Infor
Mentioned as part of Daren’s early experience commercializing AI-enabled manufacturing systems in risk-averse industrial environments.

LinkedIn
Highlighted as the primary platform to connect with Daren and engage professionally around AI and manufacturing.

Oracle
Cited as an example of enterprise platforms buyers now evaluate using their own AI agents before speaking with sales teams.

SAP
Referenced alongside Oracle to illustrate how AI has shifted buyer research and decision-making power.

Spotify
Mentioned as a main platform for listening to The AI Space Podcast.

Virtual Select
An AI-enabled manufacturing platform discussed as a way to combine human operators with predictive AI to reduce defects, scrap, and recalls.

YouTube
Referenced as a primary distribution channel for watching and subscribing to
The AI Space Podcast.

This episode underscores that staying relevant with AI is not about chasing hype, but about applying it where it creates real operational value. Leaders who thrive focus on augmentation over automation, pairing human judgment with intelligent systems to improve quality, reduce risk, and prevent costly failures.

In manufacturing and business alike, AI is most powerful when it accelerates preparation, visibility, and decision-making while humans remain accountable for outcomes. In 2026, relevance belongs to leaders who balance experimentation with discipline and use AI to strengthen fundamentals, not replace them.

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