What happens when AI, virtual reality, and spatial computing move beyond demos and start reshaping real engineering work?

In this episode of AI Across the Product Lifecycle, Michael Finocchiaro speaks with Jay Wright, Co-Founder and CEO of Campfire, and Oluwaseyi “Shay” Sosanya, Co-Founder and CEO of Gravity Sketch, about the future of immersive engineering workflows.

This is not a “metaverse” conversation. It is about what spatial tools can actually do for product development, design reviews, manufacturing validation, training, collaboration, and digital transformation.

Jay explains why AI is becoming a first-class user inside Campfire, acting almost like another participant in a 3D workspace. Shay breaks down why Gravity Sketch keeps humans at the center of the design process while using AI to remove friction, speed iteration, and help teams communicate better.

The conversation covers the hard parts too: why LLMs still struggle with geometry, why industrial companies remain cautious about cloud and AI adoption, why employees are already using AI tools outside official policy, and why the next breakthrough in engineering may not be AI replacing CAD, but AI controlling and accelerating the tools engineers already use.

For anyone working in CAD, PLM, industrial AI, digital thread, manufacturing, design, or engineering software, this is a sharp look at where spatial computing is actually useful and where the hype still needs to become workflow value.

Featuring:
Jay Wright, Co-Founder & CEO, Campfire
Oluwaseyi “Shay” Sosanya, Co-Founder & CEO, Gravity Sketch
Host: Michael Finocchiaro, AI Across the Product Lifecycle

Transcript source:  

00:00 Welcome and guest introductions
03:05 Jay Wright on being bullish about AI after ChatGPT
04:33 Shay Sosanya on cautious optimism and the speed of AI progress
07:06 Why 3D geometry is harder for AI than language
08:42 AI capabilities are moving faster than expected
10:07 How Gravity Sketch adopted AI in software development
12:27 Campfire’s AI-assisted development workflow
13:32 AI agents in meetings, code, and product workflows
16:11 Using AI with existing 3D assets, BOMs, documents, and legacy data
18:26 Campfire’s spatial workflows for engineering, training, and sales
20:02 Where AI sits in the software stack
20:28 Campfire’s spatial agent as a first-class user
21:46 Gravity Sketch’s human-first approach to AI in spatial design
23:36 Foundation models, 3D generation, and geometry engines
25:29 AI cost, IP protection, customer data, and bring-your-own-LLM models
28:00 Has engineering had its ChatGPT moment yet?
29:05 Why physical product development will see staged AI adoption
31:17 The engineering-to-manufacturing gap
32:13 Simulating manufacturing workflows before production
34:12 AI connectors, Blender, Fusion 360, and tool control
35:18 Advice for young engineers worried about AI
39:41 Making real products, not just AI-generated concepts
40:00 Digital maturity in industrial companies
41:21 Why many manufacturers remain at low digital maturity
42:31 Headsets, cloud, InfoSec, and adoption barriers
43:39 Employees are already using AI and immersive tools informally
46:57 Can agile startups move industrial customers faster than incumbents?
48:17 Campfire on solving workflows rather than selling AI novelty
50:29 Gravity Sketch on value, workflow depth, and avoiding AI hype
53:09 Where to see Campfire and Gravity Sketch next
56:12 Closing thoughts