Dream Machines: Physical AI, Robotics, Being Human

Welcome back friends to Medium Energy!This is another live panel recording from SXSW. It’s also one of my favorite panels to date…It was titled ‘Redefining Reality’, so as you probably guessed, it’s about all things spatial computing i.e. the full spectrum of immersive, interactive real-time 3D experiences… from 3D on the web, to headsets like the Vision Pro, to simulations on phones/tablets/laptops.If you’re in search of talk tracks to pitch friends, family, or colleagues on why spatial computing matters, and why its worth investing in, you're going to enjoy this one.The panel includes a variety of leaders and really great thinkers in the space, representing hardware/software for creating VFX at live events (Disguise, CXO Alex Wills), to Snap and their AR lens creator platform (Snap Global Director of Creative Studio, Resh Sidhu), to one of the top agencies in the world building spatial applications (Arcade XR CEO, John Meggitt)This array of experience and perspectives allowed us to cover a variety compelling topics, including:* The real 'so what' behind spatial computing, and the more fundamental & philsophical impact it will have.* The idea of this not being just spatial computing, but rather 'experiential computing', and why that could change, well… everything.* We also get practical and a bit technical, exploring the best practices brands need to consider to properly build & take advantage of spatial computing as it matures and transforms... and how to do so beyond just headsets.I think you'll really enjoy this one, especially if you're trying to incorporate spatial into your company and/or work life. So let me know what you think, and if you do indeed enjoy, please consider sharing with a friend and leaving a review on Apple/Spotify! 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

This is a live recording of a panel with Artist & the Machine during a 'Spatial Computing Salon' in LA.Artist & The Machine is an awesome new event series put on by my friend Dani Van De Sande. She's pulling together an amazing community of builders, brands, and investors to connect in-real life to share ideas, co-create, and meld minds; all with a similar focus as Medium Energy: to champion the elements of tech that make us more human, not less.This panel featured a very diverse and awesome line up of entrepreneurs within spatial computing.We had Neha Singh, the founder & CEO of ObsessAR. Obsess is building the future of e-commerce via immersive, virtual retail environments. They’re effectively giving brands a digital 'come inside' button, helping customers better interact with and understand products.We also had Reza Ali, CEO and Founder of Valence 3D: a 3D modeling app for iPhone, iPad, and eventually VisionPro. Check it out… it’s a really slick 3D creation tool for non-3D experts.And lastly, Don Allen Stevenson, a prominent influence & creator in this space, educating people on all the ways to use AI and spatial. He also has one of the best nick names I've heard in the content creation realm — “the Bob Ross of the metaverse’...If you don't know who Bob Ross is, your probably a Gen Z’er… *sigh- Just look him up on YouTube. A true gem of the 80's and 90's public TV era..During the panel, we hit on all kinds of juicy topics at the heart of Spatial Computing and AI, including:* How to address people’s fear & skeptcisim about this brave new world* The impact we’re all seeing from this tech on both business & creativity* And of course, we wax poetic and get philosophical about the long term implications of this interface for society writ large...Alright enough preamble, let's dive into the show, and if you enjoy, please do subsribe, give us a rating on Apple/Spotify, and perhaps share with a friend or two! 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

Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkWelcome to Part II of our conversation with Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, aka the next-gen Disney, or what I like to call the ‘real-world metaverse’. If you haven't listened to Part I, trust me… Press pause and check out that episode via this link (or the Apple/Spotify links above).It’s garnered the best + most feedback of any piece of Medium Energy content to date. It also sets important context and provides ideas that underpin this conversation, such as…* The future of storytelling* How to tap into/harness imagination* Balancing spontaneity with control* Pricesless lesson in entrepreneurship* How to bring a dream & vision to life out of thin air (e.g. ‘believing the unbelievable’)Here in Part II, we dive into the future of Meow Wolf and how they’re integrating spatial computing, AI, and crypto. We also discuss the challenges of leading a company, dealing with failure, and adapting to your own weaknesses. In the end, we bring things home by getting deep. We discuss…* Vince’s experience with love and death* How to incorporate these parts of the human experience into our daily work and lives.* What questions we need to be asking ourselves as we face this moment of exponential changeI came away from this conversation feeling really optimistic about where technology is taking us… Confident you’ll feel the same… So, let's get started. Here’s Part II of our talk with Vince Kadlubek. 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

This was my favorite conversation of the past year, both on and outside of Medium Energy. It’s a chat with entrepreneur, dreamer, and dear friend: Vince Kadlubek.Vince is one of the most compelling thinkers I know. He's also the co-founder of Meow Wolf: one of the world's most original and exciting ventures within arts and entertainment.For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is akin to a next-generation Disney, but with a unique twist… catapulting visitors into a vortex of childlike wonder & awe.More concretely, they transform huge physical spaces into a kaleidoscope of immersive experiences that blur the lines between art gallery, amusement park, and interactive museum.Here are some examples…With locations flourishing in Santa Fe, Denver, and Las Vegas—and with more on the horizon—the realms they build look & feel like a real-world ‘metaverse’, transporting visitors into narratives brimming with digital art, sculpture, and an evolving array of technologies like AI, augmented reality, and spatial audio. We also discuss the potential to use cryptocurrency and NFTs… which in my opinion, is where things start to get really interesting…This convo was too rich and expansive for just one episode, so we’re dividing it into two parts.In this first installment, we cover:* The ethos driving Meow Wolf, tracing its origins and exploring a concept that resonates deeply with me: the ability to believe in the unbelievable.* The evolution of storytelling and its impact on our species, considering how such experiences not only offer healing and growth but can also usher in new avenues for finding purpose and meaning in our lives.* This idea of ‘religion without religion’, as we navigate a world where traditional religious structures have left a void (of community & places with inspiration + hope)These themes are not just intellectually stimulating; they touch on something elemental to the human experience… something we’ll explore further into in Part II (which we’ll be releasing as a fast follow later this weekend).For now, let’s dive into Part I!I find these topics endlessly fascinating, and upon hearing Vince’s perspective, I think you will too. So without further adieu, I bring you, Vince Kadlubek… 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

Welcome back to another episode of Medium Energy! We have a fun and enlightening episode for you all today: a chat with Dani Loftus, the founder and CEO of DRAUP.Draup  is one of the leading platforms and marketplaces out there for digital  fashion and accessories. Think of them as a blend between E-Bay and  Etsy, but for digital luxury goods. You can also liken them to a  ‘digital fashion house’ of sorts, designing their own items while  cultivating discussion & community around the latest trends.This  might seem like a rather esoteric topic, but think again… The level of  adoption and revenue from digital fashion and self expression in virtual  worlds is eye popping.It’s one of the largest, if not the  largest way to make money today in 'the metaverse'. Look no further  than Fortnite, who’s made billions of $$ from digital cosmetic items  (aka ‘skins).Even if you’re not into fashion, stay tuned…  This conversation expands into a variety of compelling &  fundamental topics. To name a few:* NFTs:  We dive more broadly into the topic of NFTs, discussing how to extract  real value and utility, and how shes navigated these various bull &  bear cycles* Identity & Self Expression: We get philosophical and discuss the the future of identity and cultural expression, in this next generation of the internet* GenAI: Of  course, we’d be remiss to not hit on how AI is going to play a role in  both building her business and digital fashion writ large* Entrepreneurship: And  for the aspiring entrepreneurs out there, we also cover some of Dani's  personal experiences in building her first business. Her story holds  valuable lessons in having a bias for action, how to just get started,  and how to learn by doing.I had a blast in this convo with Dani. Confident y'all will enjoy it as well! So without  further adieu, I bring you... Dani Loftus.Oh! And and if you do indeed enjoy this episode… would beyond appreciate a quick rating of this podcast. Really helps us spread the message and grow :-) 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

The podcast delves into the fusion of spatial computing, AI, and blockchain with CEO of Auki Labs. They explore the concept of the AR Cloud, digital twins, and shared 3D scans. Discussions touch on the future impact of AI companions, language in AR, memes in society, and economic opportunities in the metaverse.

On today’s episode, we’re flipping the script. This time I’m in the hot seat, interviewed by David Mattin on Real Vision’s new segment ‘The Exponential Age’.You can check out their show/channel via this link here. (I have a few other interviews with them coming down the pipe, so stay tuned!)We cover a range of topics under the spatial computing umbrella, including:* Why the metaverse needs a reckoning, and how it should be defined (per my essay: How to Defend the Metaverse)* The key unlocks for spatial computing to go mainstream* How enterprises need to prepare for a ‘spatial first’ future* How to communicate the value of spatial computing internally at your business* The primary intersections between AI & spatial computing* How/why humanoid robotics = spatial computing* The long term implications of humanoids (per my essay: The Humanoid Race)If interested in diving deeper into these topics & ideas, check out the essays below!How to Defend the MetaverseFinding Solace in the Age of AIThe Humanoid Race 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

Today’s guest is Cam Mullen, the CEO and co-founder of Nevermet, the #1 VR dating app in the world.This was a fun one. Think of Nevermet as the Hinge, Bumble, or Tinder of the metaverse, yet… quite different, and certainly more engaging. As you’ll hear in this interview, they’re enabling so much more than the mindless swiping and hollow chit chat plaguing dating apps today.If you're still on the fence about all things metaverse, you'll probably wince at the idea of finding love in virtual worlds. But hear Cam out. He’s a great thinker with ideas that I think will expand your mind and leave you thinking differently about identity, connection, relationships, and why there might be some real upside to this approach.I hope you enjoy this jaunt into the future of romance, and if you like the episode, please leave us a review with the number of stars you deem worthy.It goes a long way to helping us grow! 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

Today's guest is Nanea Reeves, the CEO and co-founder of Tripp.Tripp is one of my favorite AR/VR applications. It’s also one of the most important use cases for spatial computing: leveraging the power of immersive experiences for mental health and emotional well-being.You can think of Tripp as the Calm or the Headspace of the 'metaverse'.Nanea has had an impressive business career, operating as a C-Suite executive across numerous media & gaming companies, including Electronic Arts as the SVP & COO of Global Online. But what I find most compelling is her personal journey. She's overcome a lot of adversity, from childhood and well into her adult life.The kind of adversity that would force most people into a pit of despair... But Nanea was the epitome of anti-fragile. She found ways to grow, evolve, and emerge as the ideal leader for a mission like Tripp’s.As someone who’s had their own bout with mental health, I’m quite passionate about their mission. I wrote about it at length in this essay, ‘The Ultimate Promise of the Metaverse’.It argues that to battle the inherent afflictions of exponential tech, we’re going to need more powerful ways to reset our nervous system and ‘escape’ the noise.Ways to tap into something bigger, grander, and more vast.Ways to tap into flow, ‘stir the soul’, and reset our perspective, similar to the power of ancient monasteries or religions of old.Excited for you to listen to this one. 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

Today's episode is with renowned ‘metaverse' + virtual reality OG, Tony Parisi.Tony is one the earliest pioneers in all thing immersive tech and he has the stories, wisdom, and scar tissue to prove it. Tony is also an author and a very talented musician, which is where we start the conversation, exploring how Tony is combining his technical prowess with his passion for music to create the first every play to be produced and funded by NFTs.I'm excited for you to listen one, its got a bit of everything... from tech, to philosophy, to the trial & tribulations of the start life... and much more. 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