This Week in Startups

Next Unicorns: Empowering robots to think for themselves via AI with Covariant’s Peter Chen | E1796

Aug 23, 2023

Peter Chen, CEO and co-founder of Covariant and former OpenAI researcher, dives into the revolutionary potential of AI in robotics. He discusses how reinforcement learning is key to enabling robots to learn and adapt in dynamic environments, far beyond simple tasks. Chen also explores the balance between robotic arm functionality and adaptability, tackles the challenges of data collection for AI training, and shares insights on the promising future of humanoid robots in various industries.

49:19

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Peter Chen

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Quick takeaways

Building a general AI that can learn across multiple tasks and robots is crucial for the future of robotics.

Collecting high-quality data is essential for enhancing the capabilities of AI in robotics.

Deep dives

AI in Robotics: Opening Up New Applications

The podcast episode discusses how AI is revolutionizing the field of robotics, specifically focusing on the use of AI in warehouses and logistics. The guest speaker, Peter Chen, CEO and co-founder of CoVariant, emphasizes the importance of building a general AI that can learn across multiple tasks and robots. This approach allows robots to handle dynamic and diverse circumstances, such as picking up diverse items in a warehouse, that cannot be reduced to repeatable mechanical processes. By building a foundation model for robotics, Peter believes that AI can be applied to various industries and use cases, transforming the future of robotics.

The Role of AI in Robotics: Moving Beyond Repeatable Motion

02:24

Two fundamental concepts of reinforcement learning

02:16

The Importance of Adaptability in AI for Robotics

03:18

Intro

3min

Revolutionizing Robotics: The Future of AI in Dynamic Environments

4min

Exploring Robot Autonomy and AI Progression

4min

Reinforcement Learning in AI and Robotics

12min

Cost-Effective Robotics and Compliance Simplified

3min

Innovations in Robotic Arm Technology

8min

Harnessing LinkedIn for B2B Success and the Future of Humanoid Robotics

4min

The Future of Robotics and AI Integration

10min

Shifting Perspectives: The Rise of General AI and Its Impact on Investment

3min

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Today’s show:

Covariant CEO Peter Chen joins Jason to discuss the future of AI in robotics (1:33), the key concepts of reinforcement learning (13:50), and much more!

Time stamps:

(0:00) Covariant CEO Peter Chen joins Jason

(1:33) AI’s role in robotics and its value in e-commerce warehouses

(7:38) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(8:59) Reinforcement learning today and the AlphaGo moment

(13:50) The 2 key concepts of reinforcement learning

(17:35) Approaches to accessing data for AI in robotics

(20:35) Robotics hardware

(22:50) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(23:57) Covariant's hardware and software in use

(27:32) The importance of adaptability

(32:40) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/nextunicorn