The AI/XR Podcast April 18th, 2025 ft. Adam Draper, Boost VC
In the latest episode of "The AI/XR Podcast," hosts Charlie, Rony, and Ted welcome Adam Draper of Boost VC. First we dive into pressing industry news, including Google’s monopoly verdict and OpenAI’s user base. Adam shared his investment philosophy focused on making small pre-seed bets to minimize risk while highlighting innovative ventures like Prospera, a special economic zone in Honduras fostering biotech advancements. The conversation continued with Adam discussing ethical considerations in tech investments, emphasizing trust and accountability among founders. He concluded with insights on the future of robotics, predicting an upcoming boom fueled by accessibility and affordability of technology for young innovators.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The AI/XR Podcast April 11th, 2025 ft. John Gaeta, CEO Escape.ai
In the latest episode of "The AI/AR Podcast," hosts Charlie Fink and Ted Schilowitz welcomed John Gaeta to discuss his innovative project, Escape AI, which serves as a platform for emerging creators using cutting-edge technologies like game engines and generative AI. Gaeta described how Neo Cinema represents a new wave of storytelling that gives space to unconventional narratives often overlooked by mainstream streaming services. He outlined the platform's vision, showcasing a curated network of artists and fostering community engagement through social viewing features akin to Crunchyroll's model. With a monetization strategy focused on direct support for creators, Escape AI is set to launch its fundraising round after an initial pre-seed investment of $1.5 million. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The AI/XR Podcast April 4th, 2025 ft Patty Rangel, Producer, Impact Investor, and Futurist
In this episode Charlie and Ted celebrate reaching over a million downloads before diving into news which includes OpenAI’s $40B raise and $300B valuation, Runway’s "paltry" $380M in funding, the fate of TikTok, and the rapid evolution of cinematic AI. Our guest is futurist, producer, and investor Patty Rangel, who recounts her journey from theater to tech, her pioneering work with holography and VR, and her involvement with Singularity University, OpenAI, and the 2045 Initiative. Rangel shares insights on training AI agents, ethical AI development, and the vision of digital immortality through avatars, all while blending theater, space travel, and futurism. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The AI/XR Podcast March 28th, 2025 ft. Nils Phil, CEO of Auki Labs, and Caspar Thykier, CEO of Zappar
This week on the AI/XR Podcast, Charlie, Rony, and Ted welcome Nils Pihl, CEO of Auki Labs, and Caspar Thykier, CEO of Zappar, to discuss a massive retail rollout in of indoor virtual positioning systems in Sweden. In the news, OpenAI’s $12B revenue and projected $125B by 2029 set off fireworks. Rony floats Sam Altman as Tim Cook’s successor. Charlie suggests Apple needs a bold move—like acquiring OpenAI—to recover from Vision Pro’s underperformance and Siri’s years of neglect. Auki Labs' decentralized protocol, PoseMesh, uses scannable QR codes and self-hosted data to guide robots and humans through physical spaces. It's a killer demo: a blind person navigating to a bathroom via an app clip, no headset required. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The AI/XR Podcast March 21st, 2025 ft. Bob Cooney, Author, Futurist, Preeminent Expert in Location-Based Entertainmen
This week Charlie and Ted welcome an old friend, Bob Cooney, the world's preeminent expert in location-based entertainment, who has just wrapped his own VR Arcade and Attractions Summit in Las Vegas. He's particularly excited by the portable MR theme park being developed by Brent Bushnell (Two Bit Circus), who keynoted the show. In the news, Big tech wants a preemptive pardon for copyright infringement. With the administration’s open contempt for the media and Hollywood, and the influence of Elon Musk, who owns Xai, they'll get it. Sorry Rony was not here. His head is going to explode. Some good cinematic AI news, too, with a dramatic report on new AI-first production companies. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"AI is what XR has been waiting for," says podcast co-host Rony Abovitz, founder of Mako Robotics, Magic Leap, and the AI startup, Synthbee. "AI is what everything has been waiting for," adds co-host Charlie Fink, who writes a weekly column on AI and XR for Forbes. The other co-host is entertainment technology exec, Ted Schilowitz, co-founder of Red Camera. The podcast starts with a hot take on the week's top tech news, followed by industry guests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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