Human spaceflight is one of the few domains in which data and human judgment must work together flawlessly under extreme pressure. That makes it a powerful lens for understanding what it takes to build resilient, intelligent systems here on Earth. In this Women Leaders in Technology spotlight episode of The AI Forecast, Paul Muller sits down with former NASA astronaut Dr. Jeanette Epps to explore what complex, high-stakes environments can teach us about AI. Drawing on her 235-day mission aboard the International Space Station, Jeanette shares firsthand insights into how tightly integrated systems must function when precision is critical, and uncertainty is unavoidable. From working with autonomous robotic systems like Astrobee to managing unexpected mission anomalies, her experience proves that automation works best when paired with human judgment, not separated from it. On today’s mission, Jeanette and Paul chart a course through: - What human spaceflight reveals about managing complex systems - Why precision and trust are non-negotiable in mission-critical environments - The role of human-in-the-loop decision-making in AI systems - Lessons in leadership, resilience, and decision-making under pressure - Why baseline testing and known data are essential for trusting AI outputs - How to design systems that balance automation with human oversight For leaders building AI-driven systems, this episode offers a rare perspective from one of the most demanding operational environments imaginable. When the stakes are high enough, there’s no room for guesswork—only systems you can trust. To listen to another episode from the WLIT series, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaOkegzc6XI&list=PLe-h9HrA9qfAmGHgsmXUZgLL-T4Xjhlq8&index=7 *Stay in touch with Jeanette:* Dr. Jeanette Epps on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-epps-phd-812aba50/ Dr. Jeanette Epps on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanette.epps/ Like and subscribe to The AI Forecast, sponsored by Cloudera, to stay up to date on the latest episodes. *Links & Resources* 👉Full Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe-h9HrA9qfAmGHgsmXUZgLL-T4Xjhlq8 👉Learn more: https://www.cloudera.com/resources/podcast/the-ai-forecast.html?utm_medium=social-organic&utm_source=youtube&keyplay=cross&utm_campaign=Other---FY27-GLOBAL-Always-On-Cloudera-Podcast&cid=UNGATED&utm_content=youtube-cta *🎧 Listen on your platform of choice:* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Ou8RoF0SeeDKf9tNDBEWx Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/out-of-this-world-ai-inside-spaceflight-with-jeanette-epps/id1779293119?i=1000767551477 Chapter 00:00 Precision AI in Mission-Critical Systems 02:49 Being Too Nice as a Superpower 03:15 Sanitation as the Most Impactful Tech 04:13 Automating Health Outside Earth's Protection 05:29 Testing Code Against Known Baselines 06:39 Space Flight Physiological Effects 10:45 From Engineering to NASA Astronaut 17:40 Facing Spaceflight Launch Scrubs 23:44 Living Aboard the ISS 30:39 Servant Leadership in Space 37:20 Decision Making with Incomplete Data 40:59 Training the Workforce for Automation 46:30 Diversity and Inclusion in Tech *Connect with Cloudera:* LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloudera Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/cloudera/ X ► https://twitter.com/cloudera Spotify ► https://open.spotify.com/show/102S8zoZR6nmZV0HxZlxZu #WomenInTech #SpaceTech #Cloudera #SpaceFlight #PrecisionAI #AerospaceEngineering #TheAIForecast

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