Ward Richmond

At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton spent time with Josh Gruenstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Tutor Intelligence, to talk about a future that’s no longer theoretical: AI-powered robot workers operating inside America’s warehouses and factories. And this isn’t a science experiment. It’s already happening.   From MIT to the Warehouse Floor Gruenstein and his team came out of MIT’s Computer Science and AI Lab with a bold idea: build AI-powered robot workers that can handle the manual labor people don’t want to do. “We build physical robots,” Gruenstein explained. “We build AI models that enable robots to perceive their environments, and then we deploy those robots into factories and warehouses across the United States to do manual labor that people don’t want to do.” Unlike traditional automation projects that require massive capital outlays, Tutor Intelligence operates on a robots-as-a-service model. Companies can engage a Tutor robot for roughly $14–$18 an hour, creating a flexible, scalable path to automation without multimillion-dollar implementation risk.   Automation Isn’t New. AI Is Changing the Playbook. When asked about dominant supply chain themes, Gruenstein pointed to a constant drumbeat: automation. But 2026 feels different. “Automation is obviously a constant theme,” he said. “What really seems different…

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Have you listened to all the episodes? If not, no worries! Check them all out here: On Monday, we welcomed Dan Reeve with Esker to the show to talk about how organizations can leverage AI effectively to win in uncertain times. Supply Chain Now · “Leveraging AI Effectively to Win in Uncertain Times: Dan Reeve with Esker”   We continued our Today in Manufacturing series on Tuesday, and welcomed Rebecca Bowman with The Clorox Company to Supply Chain Now, along with special co-hosts Jason Moss with Georgia Manufacturing Alliance and Laura Madajewsli with HLB Gross Collins.   Supply Chain Now · “Today in Manufacturing: Rebecca Bowman with The Clorox Company”   On Wednesday we published our popular Supply Chain Buzz, with Scott and Greg sharing and discussing the latest news and events in Supply Chain and beyond.   Supply Chain Now · “Pharma Supply Chain, Reshoring, & TP: The Supply Chain Buzz for May 18th”   Thursday we welcomed back Latia Thomas via livestream as she shared what the future of supply chain has in store. A bright future indeed!   Supply Chain Now · “Latia Thomas: Leading the Charge into the…