In this episode of Leadership Exchange, Rob Ocel is joined by Eric Poon, Head of IT at Shoppa’s Toyota Material Handling, for a fascinating conversation on the future of industry, the evolving role of humans in automation, and the ethical responsibilities of computing.Eric shares his journey from Peloton and PepsiCo to leading IT at a company with bold ambitions to double in size in five years. He breaks down what Industry 4.0 brought us—edge computing, IoT, automation—and why Industry 5.0 is the next step: one where humans and machines work together, not in competition.They explore why removing people entirely from the equation doesn't work, how data strategy underpins everything from AI to operational success, and what it really means to design ethical systems. Expect stories (including a wild AI résumé rejection), real-world insights on data governance, and a call for more human-centered approaches in tech.Key points from this episode:- Industry 5.0 emphasizes human-machine collaboration: While Industry 4.0 focused on automation and efficiency through technologies like IoT and edge computing, Industry 5.0 highlights the need for humans to work alongside machines—especially for creativity, nuance, and adaptability.- You can’t automate good judgment: Efforts to fully replace human workers with robots often fail. Eric shares that human insight is still critical, particularly in tasks that require context, subtlety, or ethical considerations.- Data strategy is foundational to AI success: Rather than jumping straight to AI, organizations must first build strong data governance practices. Without clean, well-structured data, even the best AI models will produce poor results.- Ethical computing goes beyond compliance: Designing responsible systems requires more than just following the law. Eric calls for integrating philosophy and ethics into tech development—especially as AI becomes more embedded in decision-making.Chapters0:00 – Why AI needs good data2:15 – What is Industry 5.0?4:56 – Why automation alone isn’t enough10:35 – Building a data strategy before AI19:39 – Ethics and responsibility in computing27:40 – Real-world AI failures and accountability36:18 – Final thoughts and how to connect with EricFollow Eric Poon on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epoon02/Sponsored by This Dot: thisdot.co
