Nils Pihl: Machine Perception, AR/VR’s Future, and DePIN’s Role in Capitalism

Follow Building in Public Podcast: https://x.com/builtnpublicpod Sal sits down with Nils, founder and CEO of Auki Labs, to explore the future of spatial intelligence, machine perception, and augmented reality. Nils shares how his journey began with a vision for AR overlays in tabletop games like Warhammer, ultimately leading to breakthroughs in spatial computing. They discuss the potential of DePIN to make AI more accessible, drawing parallels between AR's evolution and human language. Nils addresses the limitations of current AR tech, such as battery life and processing power, and proposes new types of wearable devices as a solution. The conversation also delves into Auki's token system, which incentivizes contributions to a decentralized machine perception network. This episode offers a compelling look at the future of AR, robotics, and human-machine interaction. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:37 - Sponsor Message: Polygon 01:00 - Introduction to Nils and Auki Labs 02:02 - Inspiration Behind Auki and Spatial Computing 05:36 - DePIN: AI and Its Resources 06:52 - Terence McKenna and the Evolution of Language 09:58 - Augmented Reality as Humanity's Oldest Project 10:50 - The Future of Robotics and Human Language 14:32 - Decentralized Mapping and Positioning 15:57 - The Inevitable Global Movement of DePIN 16:27 - Memetic Engineering: A Career Overview 20:27 - The Concept of Memes and Their Impact 25:41 - Auki's Business Model and Go-to-Market Strategy 27:30 - AR Notes and Communication in Retail 30:53 - AI's Role in Retail Efficiency 33:44 - Form Factors for Spatial Computing 40:03 - Decentralized Collaborative Spatial Computing 41:51 - Auki's Token and Crypto Strategy Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.