Genie 3 can generate fully interactive, persistent worlds from just text, in real time.

In this episode, Google DeepMind’s Jack Parker-Holder (Research Scientist) and Shlomi Fruchter (Research Director) join Anjney Midha, Marco Mascorro, and Justine Moore of a16z, with host Erik Torenberg, to discuss how they built it, the breakthrough “special memory” feature, and the future of AI-powered gaming, robotics, and world models.

They share:

How Genie 3 generates interactive environments in real time
Why its “special memory” feature is such a breakthrough
The evolution of generative models and emergent behaviors
Instruction following, text adherence, and model comparisons
Potential applications in gaming, robotics, simulation, and more
What’s next: Genie 4, Genie 5, and the future of world models

This conversation offers a first-hand look at one of the most advanced world models ever created.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction & The Magic of Genie 3

0:41 Real-Time World Generation Breakthroughs

1:22 The Team’s Journey: From Genie 1 to Genie 3

5:03 Interactive Applications & Use Cases

8:03 Special Memory and World Consistency

12:29 Emergent Behaviors and Model Surprises

18:37 Instruction Following and Text Adherence

19:53 Comparing Genie 3 and Other Models

21:25 The Future of World Models & Modality Convergence

27:35 Downstream Applications and Open Questions

31:42 Robotics, Simulation, and Real-World Impact

39:33 Closing Thoughts & Philosophical Reflections

Resources:

Find Shlomi on X: https://x.com/shlomifruchter

Find Jack on X: https://x.com/jparkerholder

Find Anjney on X: https://x.com/anjneymidha

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

Find Marco on X: https://x.com/Mascobot

Stay Updated:

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Michigan vs. Iowa, Alabama vs. Arkansas & other Week 5 previews