The podcast discusses Covariant's experimentation with a chatbot controlling a robotic arm to improve physical world assistance. It delves into AI advancements allowing models to control hardware beyond their training, showcasing the potential impact on robotics. The exploration of data generation for training AI models in robotics and the challenges faced in tasks like warehouse operations are also highlighted.
Chatbots are evolving to control robotic arms, expanding their physical capabilities beyond just communication.
Training AI models like RFM1 for broad robotic applications requires overcoming challenges in data collection and generation.
Deep dives
AI Chatbots with Physical Capabilities
AI chatbots are evolving to have physical capabilities, as demonstrated by Co-variant's robot software company. The CEO, Peter Chen, showcased a chatbot interface that could not only discuss items seen via a robot arm's video feed but also manipulate them. This innovation represents a shift towards granting robots more general and flexible abilities, moving beyond narrow sets of tasks. Models like RFM1 are being developed to combine language fluency with physical actions, potentially leading to advancements in robotics.
Challenges in Training Advanced Robot Models
Training models like RFM1 for broad robotic applications poses challenges in gathering sufficient data. While large language models like RFM1 show promise in training robots for various tasks, the amount and sources of data required remain uncertain. Researchers are exploring methods to generate training data for robots, including collecting videos of human tasks and simulations featuring robot actions. Covariant's data trove from robot-arm deployments offers valuable insights into physical world interactions, aiding in enhancing AI models' comprehension of real-world physics.
Robotics startup Covariant is experimenting with a ChatGPT-style chatbot that can control a robotic arm, as a way to create machines that can be more helpful in the physical world. Thanks for listening to WIRED. Talk to you next time for more stories from WIRED.com and read this story here.