Dream Machines: Spatial Computing + AI

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

  Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkThis 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

  --------  

  1:48:14

  --------

  1:48:14
• Philip Rosedale | Virtual Worlds, AI, and the Illusion of Self

  Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkToday’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

  --------  

  1:10:17

  --------

  1:10:17
• A Spatial Reckoning: Why One Industry Veteran Walked Away

  Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkIt’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 goingWe 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

  --------  

  1:38:43

  --------

  1:38:43
• Introducing... Dream Machines [Audio]

  Medium Energy is now Dream Machines, narrowing the focus on the most powerful force in technology today: the convergence of spatial computing and AI.These tools are two sides of the same coin. Problem is... most people don't realize how and why. Nor do they realize what it means for their business, their careers, their children, their relationships, the list goes on.This newsletter/pod will change that.You see... Spatial computing has been misunderstood.It's far more than just AR/VR headsets and the 'metaverse'.Spatial computing is about any machine/device that can see, interact, and localize itself in the real world: this includes AR glasses, robots, drones, and self driving cars.It also includes data, of an incredibly important kind... spatial data, i.e. data with an X-Y-Z coordinate, or what I like to call... 'world data' representing people, places, and things.For decades, much of this data has lied dormant. Despite being immensely valuable, it's been woefully hard to access and to use. This ranges from 3D data (CAD, point clouds), to sensor data (IoT), to visual data of all types (photos, videos, scans)But now, the terrain is shifting, and this data has an all new raison d'être...AI is now supercharging spatial computing, and spatial is returning the favor — giving AI a body (robots), a perspective (3D computer vision), and a way to hear, navigate, and interact with the world (AR glasses).Of most importance, it will give AI real world agency, and ultimately, the feedback loop needed to unlock the holy grail: AGI (artificial general intelligence).At which point, the machines will dream, while helping humanity realize many of its dreams along the way.As such, Dream Machines isn’t just a nod to the power of spatial + AI. It’s your window into all the ways the boundary between imagination and reality is about to collapse. 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

  --------  

  5:25

  --------

  5:25
• The Healing Power of Immersion w/ Dr. Walter Greenleaf

  Today’s episode is an inspiring ride through the future of medicine, healing, and human potential.My guest is Dr. Walter Greenleaf, a legend in the world of virtual reality and healthcare. For nearly 40 years, Walter’s been building and studying how immersive tech can treat PTSD, chronic pain, anxiety, addiction, and even rewire how we think and feel.Walter's primary role today is within Stanford Universty, where a Direector within Stanford Medical Mixed Reality center, and the resident AR/VR expert within ther Virtual Human Interaction Lab. His work sits at the cutting edge of neuroscience, immersive design, and digital wellness—and he’s advised countless startups and health systems on how to bring these technologies into the real world at scale.In this conversation, we go deep on...- the rise of emotionally intelligent technology- the science of neuroplasticity, how VR can train us to be more mindful parents or more compassionate teammates- how it might soon work alongside psychedelics, AI, and even becomes a tool to explore our future selves. 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

  --------  

  1:08:02

  --------

  1:08:02

Weitere Wirtschaft Podcasts

Trending Wirtschaft Podcasts

Über Dream Machines: Spatial Computing + AI