Dream Machines: Physical AI, Robotics, Being Human

AI Is a Mirror. Do We Like What We See? w/ Lara Sophie Bothur

Most of us nod along when someone mentions the latest AI model, then quietly hope nobody asks us to explain it. Lara Sophie Bothur has made a career out of closing that gap. She’s trained as a tech psychologist and calls herself a "tech translator." She works between the people building technology and the people expected to live with it, and she turns the newest robots, AR glasses and AI models into stories anyone can follow. In this episode we skip the script and talk like two friends at a bar, starting with tech and ending up at the question underneath all of it: what does it mean to be human in the age of AI? We cover: * Tech translation. Why the gap between technology and people is widening, and why not understanding tech means not understanding the world. * AI as a mirror. Biased outputs are our own data handed back to us. Lara argues this is the moment to decide whether we like what we see. * The self is a story. We get into Dennett and Metzinger’s idea that the self is a “controlled hallucination.” Then Inside Out makes the same point more simply. * White Mirror, not Black Mirror. There’s no good tech without bad tech. Lara makes the case that a human should always make the final decision, whether it’s a driverless car or a doctor delivering a cancer diagnosis. * AI avatars and loneliness as a product. Lara built her own AI twin, “Miss Sophie,” and she’s firm about labeling AI content. We also talk about Jensen Huang’s 75-person NVIDIA, Amy Webb’s “2.2x better person,” and why human presence may become a luxury good. The key takeaway: We keep speeding up without asking where we’re headed. Lara’s answer to the Final Question says it best: “What do we want this future to look like?” Technology won’t answer that for us. We have to imagine the future first and work backwards from it. With that, please enjoy this episode with Lara Sophie Bothur. ---- Today’s episode is brought to you by… Bifrost.AI Bifrost is a leading simulation and evaluation platform for Physical AI. Their platform helps robotics teams build high-fidelity simulations, test models against the edge cases that are hard to capture in the real world, and generate perfectly labeled synthetic data along the way. If you’re building robots and want to understand where your model fails before it reaches the field, visit bifrost.ai. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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The Human Psyche in the Machine Age w/ Glen Slater

If you’re like me, you can love technology and still worry about what it’s doing to us. If that tension feels familiar, this episode is for you. Today’s guest is Glen Slater, a Jungian psychologist and the author of Jung vs. Borg (as in cyborg). This book completely blew my mind. It’s officially the most highlighted book in my Kindle. It explores what increasingly feels like an inevitable trajectory: the deeper merging of human beings and machines, and what happens to the psyche as more of our attention, identity, and inner lives become mediated by technology. On one hand, it’s one of the more unsettling books I’ve read. On the other, it’s one of the more hopeful, because Glen lays out a path for preserving the best parts of the human experience while using technology to expand consciousness (rather than diminish it). In this conversation, we get into: * What Jungian psychology can teach us about the digital age * Why technology may be disrupting our “inner ecology”; meaning, emotion, imagination, embodiment, and self-knowledge * Why technology is not neutral and how the tools we build can ultimately reshape us * The myth of progress and why technological advancement alone does not guarantee human advancement * Why embodiment may be essential to consciousness * Whether AI itself could help us become more self-aware This ended up being one of the most thought-provoking conversations I’ve had. You’ll leave with a few potential answers to the core question we explore here on Dream Machines: how do we keep advancing technologically without losing the most nourishing parts of the human experience? A thread we’ll continue to pull, together. So with that, enjoy my conversation with Glen Slater. -- Today’s episode is brought to you by… Bifrost.AI Bifrost is a leading simulation and evaluation platform for Physical AI. It helps robotics teams build high-fidelity simulations, test models against the edge cases that are hard to capture in the real world, and generate perfectly labeled synthetic data along the way. If you’re building robots and want to understand where your model fails before it reaches the field, visit bifrost.ai. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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World Models: From Pixels to Physics w/ SpAItial CEO Matthias Niessner

World models have become one of the most hyped frontiers in AI — and for good reason. The technology is reaching a tipping point, it’s attracting some of the world’s best AI talent, and many believe world models could be the unlock for both AGI and general-purpose robotics. But ask five people what a “world model” actually is, and you’ll probably get five different answers. That’s because there isn’t one approach. There’s a whole spectrum of world models being built today, each trying to understand and simulate the physical world in a different way. To cut through the ambiguity, I sat down with Matthias Niessner, CEO of SpAItial, a London + Munich-based startup building one of the leading world models for physical AI. In this episode, we cover: The spectrum of world models — from pixel-first video models, to 3D spatial representations, to systems that learn physics and cause-and-effect in latent space. Why video models may be hitting a wall — particularly around spatial consistency, long time horizons, and real-time interaction. How world models are actually trained — including the role of massive video datasets, data curation, multimodal signals, and learned representations. “Looks right” vs. “behaves right” — and why generating a photorealistic world is very different from generating one that behaves according to real physics. Why 3D consistency matters — and why a world that changes as you move through it isn’t really a persistent model of the world. How physics enters the picture — from relatively simple rigid-body dynamics to far harder problems like fluids, deformation, and objects shattering. The limits of video game data — and why learning from existing physics engines can only get you so close to reality. World models for robotics simulation — including a future where a photo of a home, factory, or workspace can become a training environment for a robot. Closing the sim-to-real gap — and why increasingly realistic learned simulations could fundamentally change how robots are trained. The path to general-purpose robotics — and how better models of the physical world could accelerate the arrival of machines that can operate reliably almost anywhere. I learned a ton in this episode — and walked away even more optimistic about how quickly we may be approaching general-purpose robotics. So with that, I bring you Matthias Niessner. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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The 3D Content Problem, Virtual Worlds, and Robotic Simulation w/ Will McDonald

Today’s guest is Will McDonald, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Miris. Miris is rethinking how high-fidelity 3D content gets delivered at scale. Their thesis: the future of 3D depends entirely on simplifying distribution. In that vein… we talk about why pixel streaming falls short, how Miris uses volumetric data instead, and why that matters for everything from e-commerce and gaming to robotics and simulation. Will and I worked together for many years at AWS, so we also dive into lessons learned from Amazon’s customer obsessed culture, what it gets right, and experience of going from big tech back into startups. If you care about spatial computing and simulation, and where the 3D internet is heading, this one’s worth the time. With that I bring you, Will McDonald. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Synthetic Data, Evaluation, and the Future of Simulation for Physical AI w/ Charles Wong + Aravind Kandiah

If you want to understand what it takes to get robots out of the lab and into production, this one’s for you. Today, I’m joined by the cofounders of Bifrost: Charles Wong (CEO) and Aravind Kandia (CTO). Bifrost is one of the leaders in synthetic data generation and simulation for evaluation. They’ve built some of the most impressive tools I’ve seen to date for helping robotics developers train, test, and deploy autonomy in the real world. In this episode, we discuss: * what most teams still get wrong with simulation * why real-world data alone is not enough * why evaluation is becoming the real bottleneck * how the best teams are closing the infamous sim-to-real gap * where simulation will be in 5-10 years These guys are two of the sharpest founders building in robotics right now — and they’ve been at it long before the physical AI hype train. I think you’ll find their insights super valuable and rich with signals from the frontlines. With that, enjoy this episode with Charles and Aravind. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Social Robots, Human Connection, and the Art of Clowning w/ Pasquale D'Silva

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link This was the most unique and fun episode I’ve done in a while, and it starts in a very unexpected place… With the art of clowning. Strange I know, but stick with us, because we quickly connect that world to technology, robotics, and why it holds surprisingly powerful lessons for this moment in time; especially if we want to design intelligent, embodied systems that humans actually want to engage with. Our guest today is Pasquale D’Silva, CEO of The Illusion of Life, a company building characters and personalities into robots to make them interesting, fun, warm, and worthy of trust. This all starts with their partnership with Boston Dynamics, where they’ve taken the Spot robot dog and turned it into a character with a real personality, called Spark. In this chat, we talk about the relationship between humans and machines, and explore all kinds of crevasses, including trust, presence, emotional intelligence, and why artists—not just engineers—may be the key to building joyful, human-centered robots. If you’re curious about the future of human–machine interaction, you’re gonna love this one. It will stretch your imagination in all the best ways. So with that, enjoy this episode with Pasquale D’Silva. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Matt Miesnieks | The Future of Physical AI

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link What if machines could learn the world the way humans do? Not by crunching data and predicting tokens, but by understanding the world and how it works? Imagine a robot that doesn’t just see a chair, but understands it— its purpose, its relationship to the table, the way you might pull it closer before sitting down. That’s the world Matt Miesnieks is building. Matt is the CEO of Primate.AI, a new kind of physical AI company rethinking how machines perceive and interact with reality. His team is exploring what happens when perception stops being a math problem and starts becoming an act of intuition. Before founding Primate, Matt helped shape the modern era of spatial computing. He co-founded 6D.AI, the company that pioneered the AR Cloud—a real-time 3D map of the world that made digital content persistent in physical space. 6D.AI was later acquired by Niantic, creators of Pokémon Go, where its technology now powers their next generation of AR experiences. Now, with Primate.AI, Matt’s taking his biggest swing yet: building machines that perceive reality the way we do—not through pixels, but through concepts, memory, and innate understanding. If 6D.AI gave AR its eyes, Primate.AI is giving machines a mind. In this conversation, we explore the future of embodied intelligence, what comes after language models, and why understanding the world like a human may be the only real path to AGI. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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The Unlock for the Spatial Web w/ Sean Mann and Dean Abramson

Today’s guests are building one of the most ambitious startups in the entire spatial computing industry. The company is called RP1, and we’re sitting down with co-founders Sean Mann and Dean Abramson. On its face, RP1 is the world’s first true metaverse browser, trying to do for spatial computing what browsers like Mosaic and Internet Explorer did for the web. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface, RP1 is so much more... They’re building all the infrastructure and protocols required for a truly spatial internet—one where immersive, persistent digital worlds stream on demand, where physical and virtual environments seamlessly merge, and where millions of users can interact in one, shared world, not a bunch of silo’d virtual experiences. In this episode, we dive into what RP1 actually is, how it scales to millions of users, and why they believe app stores must die. We also unpack their vision for the core backbone of this future, a Spatial Fabric—a kind of real-time, distributed protocol for the metaverse that manages everything from identity and maps to avatars and live services. This one’s technical, philosophical, and wildly ambitious. Let’s get into it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Alvin Wang Graylin | AI, Abundance, and Rewiring Civilization for 'Our Next Reality'

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link This interview is with Alvin Graylin — one of the boldest voices out there today on AI, reimagining civilization in the age of intelligence. Alvin is the best-selling author of the book, Our Next Reality, which is a super thought provoking exploration of how immersive tech and artificial intelligence are going to reshape every layer of society. Prior, Alvin spent over a decade on the front lines of the XR industry—building and leading HTC’s VR business in China, and serving as Chairman of the Virtual World Society. Today, Alvin's on a new mission: to help humanity navigate the AI transition—researching, writing, and evangelizing ways to ensure AI serves a greater good and unlocks an age of abundance. And While Alvin is an optimist, he’s also a realist—and he’s clear that this transition won’t be smooth unless we get a few critical things right. We talk about… * The real risks of AGI—not just killer robots, but unaligned incentives, unchecked power, and job displacement. * His call for an “AI Bill of Rights,” and why the U.S. and China must shift from competition to cooperation—perhaps through what he calls a CERN for AI. (worth checking out the link to AI Bill of Rights here) * And finally, we explore XR—not as a form of escape, but as a tool for empathy, education, and rewiring human behavior at scale. This conversation is expansive, urgent, and radical. Let’s get into it. Enjoy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Philip Rosedale | Virtual Worlds, AI, and the Illusion of Self

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link Today’s guest is a legend within spatial computing. We're speaking with Philip Rosedale, one of our spaces most renowned pioneers and the visionary founder of Second Life. Long before the 'metaverse' and 'web3' became buzz words, Second Life was the first, commercially successful, virtual world, with a self-sustaining, digital society where millions could create, trade, and become whoever they wanted to be. Philip does a lot of podcasts, so I tried to make this one unique. Call me biased, but mission accomplished. This is easily my favorite conversation of the year. We explore the enduring magic of Second Life, what it taught him about economics, identity, and why adults—not just kids—still crave virtual connection. We dive into the deep stuff—how avatars act as mirrors of the self, why virtual identity can actually reshape real-world behavior, and how platforms like Second Life may hold the key to understanding consciousness itself. We talk about the illusion of self, the Proteus Effect, and what it means to co-create identity in a shared digital world. And we ask: what happens when AI agents start growing up in these spaces? Could virtual worlds become safe playgrounds for emerging machine minds—and what might they teach us in return? We then get philosophical, in all the best ways. We explore: * Avatars as mirrors of the self * How virtual identity can reshape real-world behavior * What happens when AI agents start growing up in these spaces? Could virtual worlds become safe playgrounds for emerging machine minds—and what might they teach us in return? So, definitely strap in for this one and enjoy, its wonderfully wide-ranging, it's mind bending, and it's most importantly, full of soul... With that, I bring you Philip Rosedale. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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A Spatial Reckoning: Why One Industry Veteran Walked Away

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link It’s time for some straight talk. No hype, no press release optimism, no corporate spin. Just two guys with some scar tissue—and a lot of history—talking about what’s really happening in the world of spatial computing/XR. In this episode, I sit down with Kharis O’Connell—former design leader at AR headset startup: Meta (the original Meta), Google, and Amazon. Kharis has been in the XR arena since before the game began. From early experiments with Nokia's Point & Find in 2007 to helping define zero-learning-curve design principles at (OG) Meta, he’s seen the promise, the collapse, and the recycled hype cycles firsthand. But this isn’t just a walk down memory lane. It’s a reckoning. Kharis recently left the XR industry. He’s no longer building AR glasses or pitching immersive futures to execs in Silicon Valley boardrooms. And that’s what makes this conversation special. He’s honest. Candid. Unfiltered. It’s the kind of clarity you only get once you’re no longer trying to raise funding or ship a prototype. Reasons to listen: * If you’re in the spatial computing space and having doubts * If you’ve ever wondered why AR hasn’t had its iPhone moment * If you’re building in this space and unsure whether to keep going We cover: * The philosophical vision behind the original Meta and why it failed * Why “zero learning curve” design is mostly a myth * What really happened at Google’s stealth AR program (and why it shut down) * The failure of imagination across today’s use cases (yes, cooking demos again) * Whether Apple Vision Pro was our “iPhone moment” (spoiler: it wasn’t) * How the obsession with technology becomes an echo chamber—and how Kharis broke out * The one big question every builder should ask themselves: Who is this for—and at what cost? This episode won’t give you all the neat answers. But it will definitely give you better questions. And if you’re like me—still carrying a flicker of belief that this tech can nourish the soul, not just the shareholder—then maybe that’s enough to keep going. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Introducing... Dream Machines [Audio]

Medium Energy is now Dream Machines, narrowing the focus on the most powerful force in technology today: the convergence of spatial computing and AI. These tools are two sides of the same coin. Problem is... most people don't realize how and why. Nor do they realize what it means for their business, their careers, their children, their relationships, the list goes on. This newsletter/pod will change that. You see... Spatial computing has been misunderstood. It's far more than just AR/VR headsets and the 'metaverse'. Spatial computing is about any machine/device that can see, interact, and localize itself in the real world: this includes AR glasses, robots, drones, and self driving cars. It also includes data, of an incredibly important kind... spatial data, i.e. data with an X-Y-Z coordinate, or what I like to call... 'world data' representing people, places, and things. For decades, much of this data has lied dormant. Despite being immensely valuable, it's been woefully hard to access and to use. This ranges from 3D data (CAD, point clouds), to sensor data (IoT), to visual data of all types (photos, videos, scans) But now, the terrain is shifting, and this data has an all new raison d'être... AI is now supercharging spatial computing, and spatial is returning the favor — giving AI a body (robots), a perspective (3D computer vision), and a way to hear, navigate, and interact with the world (AR glasses). Of most importance, it will give AI real world agency, and ultimately, the feedback loop needed to unlock the holy grail: AGI (artificial general intelligence). At which point, the machines will dream, while helping humanity realize many of its dreams along the way. As such, Dream Machines isn’t just a nod to the power of spatial + AI. It’s your window into all the ways the boundary between imagination and reality is about to collapse. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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The Healing Power of Immersion w/ Dr. Walter Greenleaf

Today’s episode is an inspiring ride through the future of medicine, healing, and human potential. My guest is Dr. Walter Greenleaf, a legend in the world of virtual reality and healthcare. For nearly 40 years, Walter’s been building and studying how immersive tech can treat PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, addiction, and even rewire how we think and feel. Walter's primary role today is within Stanford Universty, where a Direector within Stanford Medical Mixed Reality center, and the resident AR/VR expert within ther Virtual Human Interaction Lab. His work sits at the cutting edge of neuroscience, immersive design, and digital wellness—and he’s advised countless startups and health systems on how to bring these technologies into the real world at scale. In this conversation, we go deep on... - the rise of emotionally intelligent technology - the science of neuroplasticity, how VR can train us to be more mindful parents or more compassionate teammates - how it might soon work alongside psychedelics, AI, and even becomes a tool to explore our future selves. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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The Ultimate Trifecta | Digital Twins + Spatial Computing + AI

* Apple Podcast Link * Spotify Podcast Link I recently sat down with Ashley Crowder, CEO of VNTANA, on her podcast Connected in 3D. We discussed all things at the intersection of spatial computing, digital twins, and AI, and where this convergence is heading within the enterprise space. We covered… * Why spatial computing is more than just headsets—it’s any system that sees and simulates the world * The real reason most companies are stuck in pilot purgatory * What a “spatial data plane” is and why companies need one * How AI + 3D data unlocks powerful new use cases—from training robots to designing factories * And why I believe generative UI will be the breakthrough that makes this all mainstream If you’re interested in using digital twins, immersive tech, or AI to make better decisions—not just more noise—this one’s worth a listen. And if you enjoy, please do give us some stars on your favorite podcast player, and please consider sharing with a friend or two! Really helps us spread the good word :) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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From Spatial Computing to Contextual Computing w/ Nir Daube

How much of your life is spent staring at a screen? Probably more than you care to admit. Now imagine, all that distraction and friction disappearing. No more scrolling, typing, tapping. No more barriers between you and the information you need. No more heads down moments, getting lost in an array button, menus, and icons, breaking the flow of conversation and connection. Instead, AI gets unleashed from tiny text boxes. It greets you as a companion in the real world, enhances your day without distracting from it, and moves us from a world of fixed, flat UI’s to generative, spatial UI’s, adapting based upon what we’re doing, who we’re with, and where we are; perhaps even how we’re feeling… That’s the world a new startup called LIBBA is building; a world in which AR glasses and AI fuse to transform human-computer interaction, and our relationship with technology. In this episode, we’ll jump 5-10 years into the future to explore the human experience once LIBBA accomplishes this mission. How do we get there? Where are we now in the technology adoption cycle? And in classic Medium Energy fashion, we explore the philosophical questions behind this degree of merging the digital with the physical, and ask: how do we ensure that this future makes us more human—not less? To help answers these questions, I bring you Nir Daube, CEO of LIBBA. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Upgrading Your Mind for the Digital Age w/ Todd Kashdan

We’re closing out the year with a special one… As most of you know, part of the Medium Energy mission is to explore what it means to be human in the age of exponential technology. If that question interests you, this conversation absolutely delivers. We’re peeling back the layers of the human psyche and exploring the future of emotional and psychological well-being. At the heart of the conversation is the power of curiosity. We’ve all felt curiosity. But let’s be honest—how many of us truly know how to harness it as a tool to improve our lives? To help us do exactly that, we're speaking with Todd Kashdan, a renowned psychologist and one of the world’s top authorities on not just curiosity, but also on the psychology of well-being, psychological strength, mental agility, and social relationships. Todd is also one of my favorite authors, with numerous books that have reached millions of people. What sets his work apart is that he doesn’t just study human behavior; he dissects it, challenges it, and rebuilds it from the ground up. In doing so, he’s developed some rather contrarian takes, all of which I think are spot on. And I’m not the only one… his research is starting to blow up. He's been featured in major outlets like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and the Hidden Brain podcast. And if that’s not impressive enough, Todd ranks in the top 1% of cited scientists worldwide, with over 225 published articles and more than 48,000 citations. So buckle up—this is a special episode with a special thinker. And spoiler alert—I’m already looking forward to doing a Part II, as we uncovered so many more ideas to unpack With that…. enjoy this first conversation with Todd Kashdan. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Quarterly Market Update #2 w/ Hatem | Market theory, AI opportunities, and Bitcoin

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link Welcome to our quarterly market update for Q3 2024, with Hatem Dhiab, Managing Partner at renowned investing firm, Gerber Kawasaki. In this series, we share our observations & leanings from the most recent quarterly earnings calls. The goal of this series is to help you stay calibrated to the latest market & investing trends. This conversation kicks off with an exploration of modern investing strategies and psychology (hint: I think traditional market theory is erroding, and the traditional strategies are breaking down) We then focus on where value might accrue next in the AI stack, and cap off with a debate around Bitcoin’s resurgence and role in the financial system. As always, this is not investing advice. DYOR! (Do Your Own Research). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Finding Focus, Meaning, and Purpose in the Digital Age w/ Tommy Sobel

Alright folks, we're taking a different tack with this episode. We’re diving into some more… soulful topics, while also getting rather personal and vulnerable. Part of our core thesis at Medium Energy is that exponential technologies like Spatial Computing and AI… these are democratizing tools. They’re going to help more people climb the proverbial ladder that is Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, all the way to that top rung, i.e. the mystical notion of self-actualization, or the idea of becoming who we're meant to be, finding our purpose, and fulfilling potential... Now I know sometimes the pursuit of these things can get a bit woo woo. But in this episode, we keep it practical and tactical. To do so, we're talking to Tommy Sobel, an impressive entrepreneur with a business and a coaching practice focused on digital wellness, digital habits, and most recently personal & career development. Tommy’s created a great formula for uncovering what many people call their 'zone of genius’, and upon hearing about it, we went a bit off script. I couldn’t help but ask Tommy do a live coaching session with me right there on the spot, just like he does for his clients. So you're welcome, you're effectively getting a free session here of immense value yourself ;-) So perk up and get ready to take some notes. This one is full of all kinds of golden nuggets that I'm going to certainly put into practice, and that I think you will find useful as well. So without further adieu, I bring you Tommy Sobel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Brain Computer Interfaces + Spatial Computing | The final frontier?

Today’s episode is as sci-fi as it gets. We're exploring the complete merging of man and machine via spatial computing and BCIs (brain computer interfaces); a combo that will give us the ability to control machines with our minds. And yes, this stuff is way more real and way more imminent than you think. To explore the topic, we're diving into a company at the cutting edge of this frontier. The company is called uCat (strange I know, but you’ll see why), and this conversation is with their Founder/CEO, Sam Hosovsky. Sam has an incredible vision, and believe it or not, its very human centric and altruistic. Upon listening, I think you’ll see that this future doesn’t have to be as dystopian/Black Mirror’ish as some think… To explore how and why, we start by exploring all the new innovations that need to exist, including: * New types of AI to interpret neural signals * New types of software to translate those neural signals * New forms of avatar technology to map neural signals to a virtual body, such that we can have complete agency in virtual space. We also discuss who this will be for, how they will benefit, and of course (in classic Medium Energy fashion) we get philosophical, exploring what this means for the human experience and what daily life might look like when it is real. So buckle up. This one is mind expanding in the most literal way. Without further adieu, I bring you Sam, aka ‘Saborg’, Hosovsky. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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Felix Herbst: How to Build the Spatial Web

Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link If you're interested in how to build a more immersive and experiential internet (aka the spatial web), than this is your episode We're interviewing an old friend and old colleague, Felix Herbst Felix the CEO and co-founder of Needle, which has the most impressive suite of tools I've seen to date for building web-native, spatial applications. For years now, the web has been highly sought after by the 3D and XR developers. But its been difficult to build web apps that are as compelling as their client side counterparts, which are built with powerful game engines like Unity and Unreal. These game engines have historically produced much better levels of animation, rendering, simulation, and interaction. But with Needle, that's starting to change... Felix and I know each other from the OG Meta days (the AR startup, not Facebook 2.0). When he left, I told myself, that’s a guy I need to stay in touch with. He’s going to go on and do something special. I failed to stay in touch, but lo and behold, I recently bumped into Felix at aconference. And to no surprise, he’s on to something big… attacking one of the most important problem spaces within our domain; making it easy to build compelling 3D & spatial websites. The long term vision? The Squarespace or Wix for 3D. In my opinion, until something like this exists, this notion of the metaverse will remain hypothetical. With all that said… whether you’re a business leader looking to build a more engaging website, or a 3D developer looking for better ways to build for the web, I think you're gonna really enjoy this one So strap in, get ready to take some notes, and enjoy this episode with Felix Herbst. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

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