Dream Machines: Physical AI, Robotics, Being Human

with Evan Helda

Dream Machines is a podcast & newsletter exploring physical AI, robotics, and the future of the human experience. These new tools unlocking human potential in ways we can barely imagine. But they're also going to challenge everything we know about the human experience — our sense of self, of reality, of each other. Which is why Dream Machines isn’t just about where technology is going—it's about where it’s taking us.... Dream Machines is hosted by Evan Helda: a writer and technologist who has been at the forefront of spatial computing for the past 9 years. He's currently the Head of Physical AI & Robotics at Nebius, of the world's leading AI clouds. www.dreammachines.ai

  1. The 3D Content Problem, Virtual Worlds, and Robotic Simulation w/ Will McDonald

    5月17日

    The 3D Content Problem, Virtual Worlds, and Robotic Simulation w/ Will McDonald

    Today’s guest is Will McDonald, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Miris. Miris is rethinking how high-fidelity 3D content gets delivered at scale. Their thesis: the future of 3D depends entirely on simplifying distribution. In that vein… we talk about why pixel streaming falls short, how Miris uses volumetric data instead, and why that matters for everything from e-commerce and gaming to robotics and simulation. Will and I worked together for many years at AWS, so we also dive into lessons learned from Amazon’s customer obsessed culture, what it gets right, and experience of going from big tech back into startups. If you care about spatial computing and simulation, and where the 3D internet is heading, this one’s worth the time. With that I bring you, Will McDonald. 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

    1時間31分

  2. 5月15日

    Synthetic Data, Evaluation, and the Future of Simulation for Physical AI w/ Charles Wong + Aravind Kandiah

    If you want to understand what it takes to get robots out of the lab and into production, this one’s for you. Today, I’m joined by the cofounders of Bifrost: Charles Wong (CEO) and Aravind Kandia (CTO). Bifrost is one of the leaders in synthetic data generation and simulation for evaluation. They’ve built some of the most impressive tools I’ve seen to date for helping robotics developers train, test, and deploy autonomy in the real world. In this episode, we discuss: * what most teams still get wrong with simulation * why real-world data alone is not enough * why evaluation is becoming the real bottleneck * how the best teams are closing the infamous sim-to-real gap * where simulation will be in 5-10 years These guys are two of the sharpest founders building in robotics right now — and they’ve been at it long before the physical AI hype train. I think you’ll find their insights super valuable and rich with signals from the frontlines. With that, enjoy this episode with Charles and Aravind. 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

    1時間18分
  3. Social Robots, Human Connection, and the Art of Clowning w/ Pasquale D'Silva

    3月20日

    Social Robots, Human Connection, and the Art of Clowning w/ Pasquale D'Silva

    Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link This was the most unique and fun episode I’ve done in a while, and it starts in a very unexpected place… With the art of clowning. Strange I know, but stick with us, because we quickly connect that world to technology, robotics, and why it holds surprisingly powerful lessons for this moment in time; especially if we want to design intelligent, embodied systems that humans actually want to engage with. Our guest today is Pasquale D’Silva, CEO of The Illusion of Life, a company building characters and personalities into robots to make them interesting, fun, warm, and worthy of trust. This all starts with their partnership with Boston Dynamics, where they’ve taken the Spot robot dog and turned it into a character with a real personality, called Spark. In this chat, we talk about the relationship between humans and machines, and explore all kinds of crevasses, including trust, presence, emotional intelligence, and why artists—not just engineers—may be the key to building joyful, human-centered robots. If you’re curious about the future of human–machine interaction, you’re gonna love this one. It will stretch your imagination in all the best ways. So with that, enjoy this episode with Pasquale D’Silva. 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

    1時間39分
  4. Matt Miesnieks | The Future of Physical AI

    2025/11/13

    Matt Miesnieks | The Future of Physical AI

    Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link What if machines could learn the world the way humans do? Not by crunching data and predicting tokens, but by understanding the world and how it works? Imagine a robot that doesn’t just see a chair, but understands it— its purpose, its relationship to the table, the way you might pull it closer before sitting down. That’s the world Matt Miesnieks is building. Matt is the CEO of Primate.AI, a new kind of physical AI company rethinking how machines perceive and interact with reality. His team is exploring what happens when perception stops being a math problem and starts becoming an act of intuition. Before founding Primate, Matt helped shape the modern era of spatial computing. He co-founded 6D.AI, the company that pioneered the AR Cloud—a real-time 3D map of the world that made digital content persistent in physical space. 6D.AI was later acquired by Niantic, creators of Pokémon Go, where its technology now powers their next generation of AR experiences. Now, with Primate.AI, Matt’s taking his biggest swing yet: building machines that perceive reality the way we do—not through pixels, but through concepts, memory, and innate understanding. If 6D.AI gave AR its eyes, Primate.AI is giving machines a mind. In this conversation, we explore the future of embodied intelligence, what comes after language models, and why understanding the world like a human may be the only real path to AGI. 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

    1時間17分
  5. The Unlock for the Spatial Web w/ Sean Mann and Dean Abramson

    2025/09/26

    The Unlock for the Spatial Web w/ Sean Mann and Dean Abramson

    Today’s guests are building one of the most ambitious startups in the entire spatial computing industry. The company is called RP1, and we’re sitting down with co-founders Sean Mann and Dean Abramson. On its face, RP1 is the world’s first true metaverse browser, trying to do for spatial computing what browsers like Mosaic and Internet Explorer did for the web. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface, RP1 is so much more... They’re building all the infrastructure and protocols required for a truly spatial internet—one where immersive, persistent digital worlds stream on demand, where physical and virtual environments seamlessly merge, and where millions of users can interact in one, shared world, not a bunch of silo’d virtual experiences. In this episode, we dive into what RP1 actually is, how it scales to millions of users, and why they believe app stores must die. We also unpack their vision for the core backbone of this future, a Spatial Fabric—a kind of real-time, distributed protocol for the metaverse that manages everything from identity and maps to avatars and live services. This one’s technical, philosophical, and wildly ambitious. Let’s get into it. 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

    1時間47分
  6. Alvin Wang Graylin | AI, Abundance, and Rewiring Civilization for 'Our Next Reality'

    2025/08/29

    Alvin Wang Graylin | AI, Abundance, and Rewiring Civilization for 'Our Next Reality'

    Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link This interview is with Alvin Graylin — one of the boldest voices out there today on AI, reimagining civilization in the age of intelligence. Alvin is the best-selling author of the book, Our Next Reality, which is a super thought provoking exploration of how immersive tech and artificial intelligence are going to reshape every layer of society. Prior, Alvin spent over a decade on the front lines of the XR industry—building and leading HTC’s VR business in China, and serving as Chairman of the Virtual World Society. Today, Alvin's on a new mission: to help humanity navigate the AI transition—researching, writing, and evangelizing ways to ensure AI serves a greater good and unlocks an age of abundance. And While Alvin is an optimist, he’s also a realist—and he’s clear that this transition won’t be smooth unless we get a few critical things right. We talk about… * The real risks of AGI—not just killer robots, but unaligned incentives, unchecked power, and job displacement. * His call for an “AI Bill of Rights,” and why the U.S. and China must shift from competition to cooperation—perhaps through what he calls a CERN for AI. (worth checking out the link to AI Bill of Rights here) * And finally, we explore XR—not as a form of escape, but as a tool for empathy, education, and rewiring human behavior at scale. This conversation is expansive, urgent, and radical. Let’s get into it. 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

    1時間48分
  7. Philip Rosedale | Virtual Worlds, AI, and the Illusion of Self

    2025/07/31

    Philip Rosedale | Virtual Worlds, AI, and the Illusion of Self

    Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link Today’s guest is a legend within spatial computing. We're speaking with Philip Rosedale, one of our spaces most renowned pioneers and the visionary founder of Second Life. Long before the 'metaverse' and 'web3' became buzz words, Second Life was the first, commercially successful, virtual world, with a self-sustaining, digital society where millions could create, trade, and become whoever they wanted to be. Philip does a lot of podcasts, so I tried to make this one unique. Call me biased, but mission accomplished. This is easily my favorite conversation of the year. We explore the enduring magic of Second Life, what it taught him about economics, identity, and why adults—not just kids—still crave virtual connection. We dive into the deep stuff—how avatars act as mirrors of the self, why virtual identity can actually reshape real-world behavior, and how platforms like Second Life may hold the key to understanding consciousness itself. We talk about the illusion of self, the Proteus Effect, and what it means to co-create identity in a shared digital world. And we ask: what happens when AI agents start growing up in these spaces? Could virtual worlds become safe playgrounds for emerging machine minds—and what might they teach us in return? We then get philosophical, in all the best ways. We explore: * Avatars as mirrors of the self * How virtual identity can reshape real-world behavior * What happens when AI agents start growing up in these spaces? Could virtual worlds become safe playgrounds for emerging machine minds—and what might they teach us in return? So, definitely strap in for this one and enjoy, its wonderfully wide-ranging, it's mind bending, and it's most importantly, full of soul... With that, I bring you Philip Rosedale. 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

    1時間10分
  8. A Spatial Reckoning: Why One Industry Veteran Walked Away

    2025/06/26

    A Spatial Reckoning: Why One Industry Veteran Walked Away

    Apple Podcast Link Spotify Podcast Link It’s time for some straight talk. No hype, no press release optimism, no corporate spin. Just two guys with some scar tissue—and a lot of history—talking about what’s really happening in the world of spatial computing/XR. In this episode, I sit down with Kharis O’Connell—former design leader at AR headset startup: Meta (the original Meta), Google, and Amazon. Kharis has been in the XR arena since before the game began. From early experiments with Nokia's Point & Find in 2007 to helping define zero-learning-curve design principles at (OG) Meta, he’s seen the promise, the collapse, and the recycled hype cycles firsthand. But this isn’t just a walk down memory lane. It’s a reckoning. Kharis recently left the XR industry. He’s no longer building AR glasses or pitching immersive futures to execs in Silicon Valley boardrooms. And that’s what makes this conversation special. He’s honest. Candid. Unfiltered. It’s the kind of clarity you only get once you’re no longer trying to raise funding or ship a prototype. Reasons to listen: * If you’re in the spatial computing space and having doubts * If you’ve ever wondered why AR hasn’t had its iPhone moment * If you’re building in this space and unsure whether to keep going We cover: * The philosophical vision behind the original Meta and why it failed * Why “zero learning curve” design is mostly a myth * What really happened at Google’s stealth AR program (and why it shut down) * The failure of imagination across today’s use cases (yes, cooking demos again) * Whether Apple Vision Pro was our “iPhone moment” (spoiler: it wasn’t) * How the obsession with technology becomes an echo chamber—and how Kharis broke out * The one big question every builder should ask themselves: Who is this for—and at what cost? This episode won’t give you all the neat answers. But it will definitely give you better questions. And if you’re like me—still carrying a flicker of belief that this tech can nourish the soul, not just the shareholder—then maybe that’s enough to keep going. 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

    1時間39分
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番組について

Dream Machines is a podcast & newsletter exploring physical AI, robotics, and the future of the human experience. These new tools unlocking human potential in ways we can barely imagine. But they're also going to challenge everything we know about the human experience — our sense of self, of reality, of each other. Which is why Dream Machines isn’t just about where technology is going—it's about where it’s taking us.... Dream Machines is hosted by Evan Helda: a writer and technologist who has been at the forefront of spatial computing for the past 9 years. He's currently the Head of Physical AI & Robotics at Nebius, of the world's leading AI clouds. www.dreammachines.ai

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