The AI XR Podcast

Shelly Palmer has spent 45 years watching technology reshape every industry—from writing news themes for CBS to consulting with every major media company on AI strategy. On this year-end recap, he cuts through the noise with one devastating observation: 2025 was the year everyone talked about AI while almost nobody actually used it. Executives shook their heads knowingly in meetings, pontificated about capabilities the models don't yet have, and parroted nonsense they read from other people who knew nothing. But when you asked one innocent question, they crumbled.In the News: CES 2026 shapes up with Nvidia sponsoring two full days of AI training. Samsung is skipping the main floor for a massive offsite activation. Sony brings no electronics—only Honda's experimental vehicles. The TCL and Chinese companies' presence hinges on tariff policy. The innovation series breakfast that Shelly runs is becoming an official CES event after a decade of independence.The conversation spirals into deeper territory: $3 trillion in government money is stacked behind AI development. The U.S. explicitly states it must beat China to AGI—making this the Manhattan Project of our lifetime. Shelly walks through what he's seen in successful companies (leadership using the tech, paid "Tech Tuesdays" for AI experiments, cross-discipline teams with SecOps and legal at the table) versus the chaos of places with no process. He breaks down what's real—drone warfare, cybersecurity applications, robotics—versus what's hot air. And he makes a case that won't be killed by AI itself, but by militarized applications and the geopolitical arms race we're already in.5 Key Takeaways from Shelly:Leadership belief and hands-on use are non-negotiable. Companies winning with AI have senior leaders who actually use the technology. When the CEO walks into an LT meeting saying "I built this agent over the weekend," everyone else starts experimenting too.The recipe for AI success has three ingredients: leadership belief, paid time to experiment (Tech Tuesdays/Thursdays with real budgets), and cross-discipline teams (SecOps, legal, compliance, risk) paving the way. Chaos erupts without this structure.You cannot build a point of view on AI from reading blogs or watching YouTubers. Pick a personal project you care about, go hands-on with a model (Claude, Gemini, GPT), and complete it from beginning to end. Only lived experience grounds your understanding.AI parallelizes with web 1.0: In 1998, you had to hand-code HTML, build databases manually, write raw JavaScript. Today you can vibe code a site in 90 seconds. AI will eventually reach "spin me up an expert that does X" without asking questions—we're not there yet, but it's inevitable.It's both bubble and Manhattan Project. Some valuations are insane and will burst. But military applications, cyber warfare, drone control, robotics—those aren't going anywhere. The government won't back off. Both outcomes happen simultaneously.This episode is brought to you by Zappar, creators of Mattercraft—the leading visual development environment for building immersive 3D web experiences for mobile headsets and desktop. Mattercraft combines game engine power with web flexibility and features an AI assistant to help you design, code, and debug in real time in your browser. Build smarter at mattercraft.io.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Caitlin Krause, an author and educator at Stanford and the University of Oregon, dives into the importance of digital wellbeing in a post-capitalist world. She argues that intentional design in XR can foster genuine connections, challenging the notion of a digital detox. With a focus on dignity-first design, Caitlin explores how loneliness can prompt meaningful human contact. The conversation branches into the implications of AI on human purpose and the need for relationship-centered values, urging a shift toward more supportive digital environments.

In this special live episode recorded at SynthBee headquarters in South Florida, hosts Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz bring listeners inside a special gathering of neuroscientists, philosophers, and technologists debating the future of AI. Moving beyond hype, the conversation focuses on "Collaborative Intelligence" vs. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), exploring whether we are building tools that amplify humanity or autonomous systems that will eventually replace it.Instead of traditional interviews, the hosts invite workshop speakers to the hot seat for rapid-fire insights on the deepest questions in tech: Can we measure an AI's true intentions? Is consciousness a physics problem? And how do we ensure these systems remain compatible with human flourishing?News HighlightsDisney invests $1B in OpenAI & licenses IP: The hosts debate whether this is a masterstroke to engage fans with user-generated Sora content or a "Yahoo powered by Google" mistake that hands the keys to the kingdom to a rival.Valve launches new PCVR hardware: A quick look at the attempt to revive the high-end PC VR market.Meta adds real-time vision to Ray-Bans: The next step in multimodal AI wearables.Guest HighlightsDr. Uri Maoz (Neuroscientist, Chapman/Caltech): Discusses the "black box" problem of neural networks, comparing the opacity of AI to the human brain, and how neuroscience tools might help us detect deception in AI systems.Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Ethics Professor, Duke): Argues that ethical AI regulation shouldn't be a monolith; different cultures need "sovereignty of ethics" to allow diverse moral frameworks to coexist rather than one centralized Silicon Valley standard.Dr. Julio Frenk (Chancellor, UCLA): Frames the AI race as a battle between "Computational Democracy" (distributed, transparent power) and "Computational Autocracy" (centralized control), warning that universities must preserve critical thinking or risk losing the ability to govern AI at all.Reed Maxwell & Laura Condon (Hydrologists, Princeton/Arizona): Reveal how AI is modeling the planet's water crisis, predicting "black swan" climate events, and why funding for this critical earth-science work is mysteriously disappearing.Danny M (12-Year-Old Prodigy): Steals the show with a stunningly articulate take on AI consciousness, "trapped man" experiments, and how fractal geometry might map neural weights—proving the next generation is more ready for this future than we are.Dr. Aaron Schurger (Psychology, Chapman): Explores the neuroscience of spontaneous action and free will, debating whether "telepathic" connections and quantum effects in the brain could be the missing link for true human-AI compatibility.Jared Ficklin (Chief Product Officer, SynthBee): The former Frog Design fellow argues we must shift the conversation from AI "capability" to "compatibility," using the intuitive connection humans have with dogs or horses as the benchmark for successful AI interfaces.Thanks to our sponsor Zappar!Subscribe for weekly insider perspectives from veterans who aren't afraid to challenge Big Tech. New episodes every Tuesday. Watch full episodes on YouTube. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vince Kadlubek, co-founder of Meow Wolf, joins Charlie and Ted for a deep dive into the future of immersive entertainment, arguing that in an age of infinite AI-generated digital content, "physical reality is the only place novelty still exists." From Meow Wolf’s origins as a scrappy art collective dumpster-diving for materials in Santa Fe to becoming a global location-based entertainment juggernaut with new sites planned for Los Angeles and New York, Vince reveals the philosophy behind building "maximalist" worlds that don't just tell stories but allow audiences to inhabit them.In the news segment, Charlie and Ted discuss Netflix's $83B acquisition of Warner Bros (HBO/IP assets only), Meta cutting 30% of Reality Labs to fund AI while poaching Apple's top designer, and the looming battle for 2026 as Android XR prepares to launch.Vince breaks down Meow Wolf's evolution from static walkthrough experiences to "animated spatial storytelling" where environments and characters respond to user actions—a vision of "XR RPGs" (Extended Reality Role Playing Games) that bridge the gap between video games and theme parks. He explains why the "monoculture" of Game of Thrones is gone forever, why Netflix's acquisition power signals the end of traditional scarcity models, and why the future of storytelling isn't on a screen—it's cross-reality, persistent, and physically grounded.Guest HighlightsOrigins of the Multiverse: How a Santa Fe art collective turned a bowling alley into the "House of Eternal Return" with George R.R. Martin as landlord.The "Cross-Reality" Future: Why physical locations alone aren't enough—Meow Wolf is building a "mechanically connected transmedia universe" where your actions in the park affect your digital profile and vice versa.Hollywood 2.0: New LA location takes over a movie theater to "honor cinema" while deconstructing it into spatial storytelling.Novelty Theory: "I don't care about photorealistic AI gorillas anymore." Why digital content has zero value and physical presence is the new premium.Questing & Agency: New "XR RPG" mechanics in Dallas/Houston allow visitors to level up, solve puzzles, and impact the world—gamifying reality without headsets.News HighlightsNetflix acquires Warner Bros assets ($83B)—Streaming wars end with tech giants vacuuming up legacy IP; theaters face the "nail in the coffin."Meta cuts 30% of Reality Labs—Pivot to AI funding while hiring Apple's former design chief signals a shift from brute-force VR to refined wearables.Android XR & Samsung 2026—Google and Samsung prepare to challenge Vision Pro with a new ecosystem launch next year.Alibaba launches Quark AI Glasses—China enters the smart glasses race with multimodal AI assistants.Subscribe for weekly insider perspectives from veterans who aren't afraid to challenge Big Tech. New episodes every Tuesday. Watch full episodes on YouTube. Thanks to our sponsor Zappar!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Jiang, CEO of VITURE, delves into why display glasses are captivating gamers, not just businesses. He explores the surprising stickiness of users, averaging nearly three hours daily, often for private console gaming. Jiang believes high-fidelity display glasses and smart glasses will remain distinct for a decade due to weight limitations. He also shares VITURE's innovative real-time 2D-to-3D AI conversion, ensuring a dynamic viewing experience, while positioning Android XR as the future's open ecosystem.

Kent Bye, an influential independent immersive media journalist known for his deep dives into XR culture, joins the discussion to share his insights on the evolving landscape of immersive storytelling. He highlights the importance of grassroots creators and festival circuits, emphasizing their role in sustaining VR beyond the hype. The conversation covers the ethical implications of AI in art and critiques its 'colonizing force.' Kent's hands-on journalism approach sets a stark contrast to corporate narratives, advocating for a more human-centered perspective in XR.

Rebecca Barkin, co-founder of Lamina1 and creator-economy innovator, dives into the decentralized multimedia platform Spaces, enabling creators to control their IP and royalties. Alongside her, Neal Stephenson, famed sci-fi writer and co-creator of Artifact, discusses a dystopian world with competing AIs, co-created with Weta Workshop. They explore how blockchain can empower creators against Big Tech, emphasizing collaborative lore creation in a living IP experiment. This conversation highlights the future of creator economies and the resurrection of the open metaverse.

Dr. Tom Furness, known as the 'Grandfather of VR', shares insights from a remarkable career in technology and design. He discusses creating the Super Cockpit for pilots, emphasizing human-centered design over tech overload. Tom reveals how VR can enhance memory and empathy through innovative learning methods, like his 'light school' initiative. He argues that future advancements in XR depend more on soft skills than hardware. With a legacy that spans military to education, Tom's vision highlights transforming VR into a tool for unlocking human potential.

Kirin Sinha, founder and CEO of Illumix, is an MIT math prodigy who has made waves in the AR space, notably creating the successful Five Nights at Freddy's AR game. In this discussion, she highlights the importance of edge AI in enhancing spatial computing and critiques the limitations of mobile-only AR. Kirin emphasizes the necessity of integrating ambient cameras and wearables for a truly relevant experience. She also examines the challenges of scaling XR beyond theme parks and reflects on why Pokemon Go's success isn't easily replicable.

Paul Raphaël, co-founder of Felix & Paul Studios, dives into the launch of Interstellar Arc at AREA15, a revolutionary VR experience designed for 170 users. He discusses the three-year journey crafting this immersive world, blending tactile props and narrative. Paul shares insights on the challenges of headset economics and the importance of word-of-mouth for driving demand. With a strong emphasis on practical haptics and engaging storytelling, he reveals the studio's ambitious future plans, including potential expansions and ongoing iterations in immersive technology.