The AI/XR Podcast.
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The AI/XR Podcast, co-hosted by producer Charlie Fink, who covers AI and XR for Forbes, Ted Schilowitz, media futurist and co-founder of Red Camera, and Rony Abovitz, founder Magic Leap, and the AI startup, Synthbee. The podcast starts with a hot take on the week's top tech news, followed by industry guests.
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260 Episodes
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Charlie is back from the Venice Film Festival Immersive, where he also judged the Reply AI Film Festival. His standout was Blur, which he shared with Ted and Rony, though the Grand Prize went to The Clouds Are 2000 Meters Up. He also praised Doug Liman’s Asteroid on Samsung’s Moohan headset and noted growing work on Apple Vision Pro.In the news: Anthropic raised $13B at a $183B valuation, Replit secured $250M, Viture raised $100M, Mojo Vision closed $75M, and Higgsfield raised $50M. Rony highlighted Rivet’s Army award and Brainlab’s ML2 FDA clearance. Apple AirPods added live translation.Don Carson joined to discuss Walkabout Mini Golf and the upcoming Alice in Wonderland course, set for December. Carson, a former Disney Imagineer and now senior art director at Mighty Coconut, explained how each hole is designed as a vignette to guide players through the story. Amazon is preparing new smart glasses, and TwinMind is testing lifelogging concepts.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week’s AIXR podcast, Ted Schilowitz and Rony Abovitz sit down with Jason Zada and Monica Monique of Secret Level, an AI-native production studio behind projects for Coca-Cola, Mercedes, and Will.i.am. The conversation explores the rapid changes in technology and storytelling, from Jason’s TED Talk experiment about a beaver and a magic sock, to the future of production where small creative teams can achieve what once took hundreds. Along the way, they cover Google’s antitrust case, Apple’s next iPhone event, Meta’s new headset prototypes, and how story and human taste remain central even as AI reshapes content creation.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Charlie Fink hosts a special episode of the AIXR podcast with Rokid and CaringKind to discuss the launch of Rokid Glass, lightweight AI smart glasses. The conversation centers on how the device supports people with vision loss, dementia, and other disabilities through features like navigation, memory support, and safety monitoring, while also addressing privacy safeguards. Rokid announced a successful Kickstarter launch ($300k+ day one) and plans to expand use in healthcare and underserved communities.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, recorded Friday, August 30, at the Venice Film Festival, Charlie Fink talks with director Doug Liman and the 30 Ninjas team, Juliana Tatlock and Jed Weintraub, about Asteroid, their new immersive XR film. The conversation covers the creative and technical process behind putting audiences inside a Hollywood movie, including the use of Google’s high-end digital human capture, Unreal Engine, and the Android XR platform with Gemini AI. Liman explains how the project evolved from a feature script into a 12-minute interactive experience. The team reflects on nearly a decade of experimenting with immersive technologies, from early VR series like Invisible to today’s high-fidelity headsets. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on The AI/XR Podcast, Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz start with the latest news but quickly veer into bigger questions about where technology, storytelling, and human behavior collide. What begins as a conversation about tools and platforms spirals—in a good way—into riffs on consciousness, creativity, and what it means to live in a mediated world. It’s part debate, part improv, and occasionally a comedy of interruptions. Devon Erikson, author of the best-selling sci-fi novel "Theft of Fire" joins the discussion, adding a novelist’s perspective. The third week in August isn't a big news week, but it made room for a group of futurists who don't all agree on the present or the future of our tech-driven society. hank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jess Loren, CEO of Global Objects, joins Charlie, Ted, and Rony to talk about the company’s work creating photoreal digital twins for film, television, games, and beyond. She explains how her team scans everything from bugs to stadiums using LiDAR, photogrammetry, drones, and Gaussian splats, and why she’s building a “clean data” archive of the physical world. The conversation ranges from Hollywood’s shifting economics to the role of tech giants, the future of synthetic media, and how 3D assets could train robots and preserve cultural history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of the AI/XR Podcast, Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz welcome Brent Bushnell, co-founder of DreamPark, for an energizing conversation about the future of mixed reality entertainment. Brent shares how DreamPark turns public spaces into interactive theme parks using Meta Quest 3 headsets, enabling immersive gameplay on city streets, at malls, and even music festivals. The hosts reflect on the legacy of Magic Leap, the overlooked brilliance of the Magic Leap game Dr. Grordbort's Invaders, made exclusively for Magic Leap by New Zealand's WETA studio. Rony compares Brent’s vision to Walt Disney, and the brainstorm an entire Dream Park business plan, discussing everything from retrofitting dead malls to launching pop-ups at Buc-ee’s and Walmart. Along the way, they discuss the shortcomings of Apple Vision Pro, Magic Leap’s lost potential, and the promise of scalable location-based XR. Equal parts XR therapy session and founder love-fest, this episode captures what happens when tech dreamers like Brent Bushnell find a working prototype.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode, Charlie, Ted, and Rony are joined by longtime tech entrepreneur Greg Shove, who shares lessons from a career spanning seven startups and multiple pivots—including a missed opportunity to buy Amazon in 1996. Now CEO of Section, Shove has repositioned the company from an online business school to an enterprise AI transformation consultancy. He discusses the shift from pandemic-era digital learning to workforce upskilling for companies deploying large language models. The conversation covers AI’s “cut and create” phases, the moral imperative to retrain displaced workers, and the risk of becoming an AI “passenger” rather than a “driver.” Shove warns of cognitive offloading and the commodification of knowledge work, suggesting that skilled trades may prove more resilient in the age of automation. The hosts reflect on AI’s Orwellian dynamics and the widening education gap in America. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Episode 250 of the AI/XR Podcast, Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Rony Abovitz are joined by Bilawal Sidhu, former Google Maps PM, TED AI curator, and generative AI media pioneer. The hosts discuss Trump’s executive orders on AI and censorship, South Park's viral Trump satire, and the emerging ethics of deep fakes. Sidhu shares his journey from Flash animations at age 7 to working on immersive Google Earth VR and launching Google Maps' Immersive View. He reflects on the future of agentic AI, spatial computing, and whether 3D interfaces will ever go mainstream. The conversation veers into synthetic media’s gray goo problem, TikTok addiction, and the possibility of personalized AI podcasts. With a mix of philosophy, tech nerdery, and cultural commentary, this episode marks a milestone with one of the most articulate voices in cinematic AI.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this special Digital Hollywood episode of The AI/XR Podcast, hosts Charlie Fink, Rony Abovitz, and Ted Schilowitz are joined by director Rob Minkoff (The Lion King), filmmaker and AI specialist Ellenor Argyropoulos, and writer-director John MacInnes for a candid discussion on the upheaval AI is bringing to Hollywood. The panelists agree that while generative tools are accelerating creativity and lowering the barrier to entry, they also threaten traditional production roles and economic structures. Minkoff stresses the enduring importance of storytelling and direction, while MacInnes predicts a future with fewer below-the-line jobs and a boom in creator-driven content. Argyropoulos shares how AI has actually made her work more profitable. The conversation also touches on IP theft, synthetic actors, and the risk of massive tech consolidation. As Minkoff puts it, “AI is a tool—but the vision is still human.”Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the AIXR podcast, Charlie Fink, Ted Schilowitz, and Roni Abovitz engage in a deep conversation with Christopher Summerfield, a researcher from Google DeepMind and author of 'These Strange New Minds.' They discuss the latest developments in AI, ethical considerations, the role of AI in society, and the implications of AGI. The conversation also touches on the impact of AI on education, the need for government regulation, and the balance of power in AI development. Summerfield emphasizes the importance of guardrails for AI deployment and the potential benefits of AI in various sectors, while also acknowledging the risks and challenges that come with it.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this week’s AI/XR Podcast, Charlie Fink and Rony Abovitz welcome Ananya Chadha, founder of Quander.co, a startup building AI-powered marketing agents for businesses of all sizes. Chadha, a Stanford grad with experience at Neuralink and IBM, is betting that distribution—more than product—is the defining challenge for small and large businesses in an age of content overload. Quander’s tools scrape social platforms for niche conversations and automate personalized outreach, while also optimizing ad creative based on performance data. The hosts discuss AI’s growing role in media and marketing, Meta’s $3.5B investment in Luxottica, and the rise of “AI slop” across the internet. They also touch on Nvidia’s $4T valuation and XR news from Zoom, Mentra, and Sesame. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Recorded in Prague, this special episode of the AI/XR Podcast features Charlie Fink in conversation with Somnium Space founder and CEO Artur Sychov. Charlie test-drives the $3,500 Somnium VR1 headset—so sharp it out-resolves human vision—and the two dive into the future of immersive tech. Artur lays out his no-nonsense definition of the metaverse: it’s not the metaverse if it’s not in VR, not persistent, and not decentralized. He praises Apple’s Vision Pro as the best dev kit ever made and says VisionOS could be the foundation of spatial computing for the next 50 years. Meta, on the other hand, gets a reality check for spending $100 billion while still depending on Apple and Google’s platforms. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week’s AI/XR Podcast featured Randy Marsden, former Apple exec and co-founder of Skidattl, an AR platform for creating geo-anchored virtual signage. Charlie, Rony, and Ted discussed Apple’s AI strategy, Tim Cook criticism, and Skedaddle’s potential as a practical AR utility that doesn’t rely on headsets or complex tools. In the news: Anthropic scored a partial legal victory on fair use, though it still faces potential copyright penalties; Meta saw a major suit dismissed. Charlie recapped his Forbes story on Chronicle, a new studio using AI to analyze fandom data and grow YouTube-native IP into film and TV. He also reviewed new all-in-one video creation platforms—Arcana Labs, Electric Sheep, and MovieFlo—that simplify AI video production. The hosts debated AI “slop” and audience taste, defending the creative potential of emerging workflows despite concerns. Skidattl’s mission to “tag the real world” with lightweight AR won praise for its simplicity and real-world applicability.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of The AI/XR Podcast, the hosts are joined by Scott Stein, contributing editor at CNET, to discuss the evolution of XR devices and the implications of spatial computing. In the news, Disney and Universal sued Midjourney, which has just released an AI image-to-video model to its subscribers. Google's Veo 3 excels at simulating AI vlogs, so the socials have been flooded with Star Troopers, Bigfoot, and Jesus meme videos. Guest Scott Stein reflects on his experience reviewing emerging tech for the past fifteen years, starting with computers and smartphones, which led to his coverage of XR. He emphasizes the challenges of evaluating early-stage products that promise future utility but may not yet deliver on their potential. The conversation explores the tension between immersive hardware aspirations and real-world practicality and the critical role of AI in resolving this tension. Throughout the episode, Stein expresses cautious optimism, acknowledging that while the path to mainstream adoption remains unclear, the intersection of AI and XR is undeniably reshaping computing’s next chapter.Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @TheAIXRPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
*Warning* Bad sound quality - apologies!In this special live edition of the AI/XR Podcast from Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2025, hosts Charlie Fink and Ted Schilowitz are joined by returning guests from Zappar, co-founders Connell Gauld (CTO) and Casper Thykier (CEO) and Auki Labs' CEO Nils Phil, to explore how AI and spatial computing are merging in real-world environments. The conversation spotlights Zapper’s Mattercraft platform and its use of “accessible QR codes” to enable spatial navigation and real-time AR experiences without downloading an app. Nils introduces the idea of “collaborative machine perception” as a necessary condition for robots to navigate and work in the physical world—what he calls the “great reversal,” where AI exits the digital and enters the real. Later, XR Guild co-founder Avi Bar-Zeev joins to discuss ethics in XR, the need for community mentorship, and the importance of preserving the creator ecosystem in the age of AI scraping. The conversation closes with personal reflections on past projects like Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride, Google Earth, and HoloLens.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/thisweekinxrHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the latest episode of The AI/XR Podcast, the discussion is focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and filmmaking, highlighted by insights from industry entrepreneur Bryn Mooser, founder of Asteria Studio. The news segment begins with an overview of Meta's shift towards automating ad creation, raising concerns over the potential disruption of traditional advertising roles. Mooser shared his vision for Asteria Studio, emphasizing that AI should enhance, rather than replace, the creative process for filmmakers. He discussed a recent collaboration on a hybrid live-action AI film, connecting the narratives of technology and artistry. The podcast examined how AI tools could democratize filmmaking, allowing small teams to produce high-quality content while maintaining creative control, and pondered the philosophical implications of AI art. As the episode concluded, the hosts predicted a new golden age of storytelling driven by technological advancements, alongside concerns about the potential job displacement within the industry and the enduring value of great storytelling skills in an evolving landscape.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.
Rony and Ted welcome Angela Dunning, an attorney at Cleary Gottlieb specializing in AI and copyrights. With Charlie on vacation, they switched up the format, bringing Angela in at the top of the show, lacing news tidbits throughout. The big news this week was Google I/O, highlighting the $250/month Gemini Ultra model and the Veo 3 video generation tool, now offering voice. Rony expresses a bit of cynicism as Google once again re-re-enters XR. The conversation veers into the philosophical and legal future of machine authorship and sentience. Angela draws on her experience litigating the “monkey selfie” case to explain current copyright limitations, but notes shifting standards, including a recent case where an entirely AI-generated image was granted protection, due to extensive human control. She emphasizes the importance of human authorship, distinguishing between derivative output and directed creation.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.
This week the hosts dive into the Trump's AI tour of the middle east, funding news for Gen-AI companies, and gen-AI in the metaverse (Meta's builder bot is back!), Roblox adds ecommerce, and VRChat an avatar shop where users can sell unique creations, This led to a conversation about the pioneering role of Second Life. Our guest is Ori Inbar, CEO of the upcoming 16th edition of Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, CA, from June 10 - 12th. He told us the theme of this year show, which features Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, Anduril and Oculus founder Palmer Lucky, and game industry legend Nolan Bushnell. In addition to recording an episode of the AI/XR podcast from the expo stage, there will be special programs like the Gaming Hub and Builder's Nexus. With XR crossing into the mainstream, as evidenced by significant sales of smart glasses and broad participation from industry leaders, the panel emphasizes the collaboration between AI and XR as essential for future advancements. 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.
In the latest episode of "The AI/XR Podcast," the hosts welcomed Nikola Todorovic, co-founder of Wonder Dynamics, to discuss key developments in the entertainment and technology sectors. The conversation began with insights into Netflix's new vertical video content strategy and the evolving role of devices in content consumption. The hosts then explored the integration of AI in Meta's Ray-Bans, addressing concerns about user data exploitation while highlighting the technology's potential to disrupt traditional smartphone usage. Todorovic detailed Wonder Dynamics' innovative approach to CGI character creation, leveraging AI to streamline the filmmaking process and reduce costs. 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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