Kate Stewart from The Linux Foundation discusses the efforts to ensure embedded open source software becomes dependable, focusing on transparency and analysis for safety-critical applications. She highlights the Zephyr project, designed for resource-constrained devices, and its growing adoption in diverse fields like firmware, hearing aids, and wind turbines. Stewart emphasizes the need for improved security and safety measures, detailing initiatives like secure boot and updates, and efforts to achieve formal safety certification for systems running open source software, aiming for greater transparency and collaboration in the process.