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Reverse-engineering autonomy in humanoid robots with Sanctuary AI CEO Geordie Rose | E1832

This Week in Startups

Fri Oct 20 2023



AI and Automation:

  • The belief that AI and automation reduce labor is a myth, as history has shown that new technology actually expands the amount of work available.
  • The lump of labor fallacy, which assumes there is a fixed amount of work, is incorrect. As technology advances, more jobs are created and wages increase.
  • The goal should be an upward spiral of growth and innovation, as this drives human flourishing and solves problems.

Sanctuary AI's Approach:

  • Sanctuary AI focuses on building robots with general intelligence that can solve problems in the same way humans do.
  • They believe that human-like intelligence is intimately tied to our presence in the world and our ability to interact with it through our senses.
  • Their focus is on developing large behavior models for robots that convert sensory input into actions intended to reach goals.
  • They place a strong emphasis on understanding how entities perceive the world through their hands and manipulate it using dexterous manipulation.

Human Cognition and Large Behavior Models:

  • Human cognition and large behavior models are interconnected because many cognitive processes are required for dexterous manipulation tasks performed by hands.
  • The mind acts as a creator of stories about the future, producing sheet music or instructions for the body to execute specific behaviors.
  • A large behavior model predicts future actions based on statistical properties of data from previous experiences, allowing robots to perform tasks similar to human-like intelligence.

Training Robots:

  • To train robots, human operators teleoperate them while performing specific tasks using haptic gloves with force feedback.
  • Data from these teleoperation sessions are used to seed large behavior models, which predict future movement patterns for the robot based on past experiences.
  • Machine learning techniques extract important information from sensor data such as vision, audio, haptics, and proprioception to be used in the behavior models.
  • The goal is to create machines that can perform a wide range of tasks, similar to how humans adapt their actions based on different prompts or instructions.

Deployment and Lights Out Manufacturing:

  • Sanctuary AI's initial go-to-market strategy focuses on automotive manufacturing rather than logistics and retail.
  • They aim to dramatically improve efficiency and productivity in automotive manufacturing plants by automating important tasks.
  • Large-scale deployments of these machines are expected to begin around mid-2026, contributing to increased productivity in factories.
  • However, the idea of achieving lights out manufacturing where no human presence is needed is not realistic. People will always find new things to do with the tools built by automation, leading to an increase in jobs and wages.

Impact of Innovation and Technology:

  • The belief that innovation and change reduce labor is misguided. Instead, embracing technology leads to growth, increased energy consumption, and the creation of new types of jobs.
  • Stagnation or holding back innovation through excessive regulation would hinder progress and limit our ability to solve problems effectively.
  • We should advocate for innovation as a necessary part of human nature and recognize its potential for solving global challenges like climate change through technological advancements.

Fear and Imagined Dangers:

  • Our minds generate horror and science fiction ideas about new technology like AI.
  • Movies like Terminator or Black Mirror depict these imagined dangers, but they are not real.
  • It's important to recognize that the stories our minds tell us about potential risks are just stories, not reality.
  • The tendency to imagine what might go wrong is natural when we innovate or discover something new.
  • Catastrophizing can lead to excessive fear and concerns about the future.

Evolutionary Roots of Caution:

  • Throughout history, caution has played a role in human survival.
  • Wondering if certain berries were poisonous or if there was danger in bodies of water led to cautious behavior.
  • This cautiousness likely contributed to extended life spans compared to those who were reckless.

Negative Impact of Social Media:

  • Social media amplifies negative aspects of human behavior, such as tribalism, fear, and othering.
  • Our brains are not designed to process large amounts of bad news presented by social media.

Importance of Discussion and Clear-Minded Decision Making:

  • Shutting down technologies like social media is not the solution. Instead, open discussions and clear-minded decision making are needed.
  • Building solutions rather than breaking things should be the focus.

Potential Benefits of AI:

  • General intelligence in AI could potentially provide insights into consciousness and explain why humans exist.
  • AI may unlock mysteries about our own existence that humans cannot answer on their own.

Sanctuary AI Careers:

  • Sanctuary.ai website offers a careers page for those interested in joining the company's efforts.
  • The founders have a podcast called "The Sanctuary Ground Truth Podcast" where people can learn more about the company.