Episode Breakdown:0:43 – IntroductionIntroduction by Jeff Dance and welcoming Elijah Kerry, who is introduced as Software Director at National Instruments.
1:42 – Elijah’s Career JourneyElijah discusses his entry into National Instruments and initial roles bridging software understanding for engineers from various disciplines.
3:45 – Evolution in Test AutomationBoth Jeff and Elijah describe the transition from basic laboratory automation to complex, software-dependent test systems.
4:58 – Defining Test AutomationClarification of test automation with a focus on the physical world and challenges specific to hardware, as opposed to software-only testing.
7:29 – The Importance of Test AutomationElijah highlights test automation’s vital business value, scale, and reliability, underscoring critical consequences of inadequate testing in industry.
10:14 – Education and Inspiration in TestDiscussion on the need to better educate and excite young engineers about test engineering, citing academic partnerships and student projects.
13:33 – Test Across the LifecycleElijah and Jeff talk about testing at multiple phases—from design and build, to production and remanufacturing—emphasizing its pervasive necessity.
14:47 – LabVIEW vs. Python for Test AutomationElijah describes LabVIEW’s historical and technical strengths in hardware-oriented test environments and its complementary relationship with Python.
19:51 – Community and CollaborationElijah reviews the growth of the LabVIEW community, user groups, and open-source initiatives, and the impact of Emerson’s acquisition of NI.
26:05 – The Future of Test AutomationForecast of major changes in the next 10–20 years, including increasing software sophistication, roles for AI, and the rapid evolution of engineering needs.
32:04 – Integrating AIElijah explains current and future uses of AI in test automation—with assistants, code generation, and enhanced data analysis.
36:59 – The Role of ContainerizationDiscussion about the benefits of containerization (e.g., Docker) for building resilient, scalable, and update-ready test systems.
40:23 – Supporting Innovation and ScaleFocus on the demands of rapidly evolving industries and NI’s efforts to support high-volume, data-intensive test environments.
43:23 – Ethics and CybersecurityAddressing the importance of ethical responsibility, data privacy, and cybersecurity in software and AI-driven test systems.
47:08 – Key Investments and RewardsElijah shares excitement about renewed investment in NI’s core products and the personal rewards of being part of transformative engineering projects.
50:03 – ClosingJeff reflects on the unique vantage point of NI in driving and observing technological innovation. Closing acknowledgments.
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About the Show:“The Future Of” is a podcast by Fresh Consulting, hosted by Jeff Dance, where we discuss and explore the future of various industries, markets, and technology. Join us as we chat with leaders and experts to learn how we can shape the future human experience.
Previous guests include: Gurdeep Pall of Microsoft, Carolyn Belle of Astroscale, Kane Simms of VUX World, Rogger Kibbe of Samsung Research America, Rob Tiffany of Sustainable Logix, Katrina Stevens of Tech Interactive, 
Check out our 3 most downloaded episodes:

The Future of the Metaverse
The Future of Construction
The Future of Generative AI