Built Different - AI That Sorts Trash at Superhuman Speed

In the latest episode of Built Different, LinkedIn SVP and Head of Engineering Mohak Shroff discovered how AI is reshaping one of the world's most stubborn environmental challenges: waste. AMP uses computer vision systems and robotics to tackle the 350 million tons of garbage the US produces each year. With recycling rates falling and landfill capacity tightening, AMP's technology offers a rare combination of environmental necessity and commercial viability.

AMP's technologies pair high-speed cameras and neural networks to analyze the waste stream in real time, identifying materials with a level of precision that surpasses human capabilities. Air jet systems and robotic arms using suction turn those classifications into action. "We have these robots working on conveyor belts that move up to about 400 feet a minute. That's kind of like a fast jog," says CTO and Founder Matanya Horowitz, "When we get to our jets, we sort on belts that are up to 1,000 feet a minute, and that's like an all-out sprint."

By building a software-defined system, AMP has engineered adaptability into the recycling process. Models can be quickly updated as packaging trends shift or contamination patterns shift. "That flexibility does have real world implications," says Horowitz, "I don't know how the waste stream is gonna change in 20 years, but what I do know is it is going to change."

AI doesn't just update a centuries-old engineering challenge-it reframes it. A problem once defined by hardware limitations shifts to a software-driven system that learns and adapts as conditions change. The shift has real consequences. By sorting directly through municipal solid waste, AMP pulls out recyclables that never make it into the blue bin and reduces the volume headed to landfills. Those changes ripple outward: higher recovery rates, extended landfill lifespans, and meaningful savings for cities grappling with rising disposal costs.

Built Different with Mohak Shroff goes behind the scenes with technologists making bold, long-term bets. The series offers a firsthand look at how builders are tackling some of today's toughest challenges and the real-world impact of their innovations. Follow Mohak on LinkedIn to learn where he'll go next.