We Study Billionaires - The Investors Podcast

Ken and Preston examine whether robotics has lost its way, echoing Rodney Brooks’ concerns. They dissect the gap between AI language models and physical robotics, focusing on dexterous manipulation, tactile sensing, and visual feedback. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:37 - Why Ken agrees that robotics may have “lost its way” 00:03:37 - The critical gap between AI language skills and robotic manipulation 00:04:33 - How robot mobility is advancing, but dexterity still lags 00:08:15 - Why tying shoelaces is still too complex for robots 00:12:37 - The role of tactile sensing vs. vision in robotic surgery 00:14:45 - How camera placement in robotic hands affects manipulation 00:20:18 - Why the robot data gap could be 100,000 years behind language models 00:25:13 - Why simpler grippers often outperform human-like robotic hands 00:27:03 - The engineering behind Dex-Net and Ambi Robotics’ success 00:34:37 - How real-world testing exposed unexpected robotic limitations Disclaimer: Sli