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Published Oct 11, 2022

Amazon's transformation, Peloton's mistakes, VC market downturn & more with Ben Gilbert | E1582

Jason Calacanis and Ben Gilbert delve into Amazon's corporate evolution, the rise of robotic delivery, Peloton's restructuring challenges, and the downturn in the venture capital market.
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  • Robotics

    and discuss the potential of robotic delivery systems, highlighting companies like Coco. Jason believes these robots are ideal for food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash, rather than large-scale operations like Amazon's. Ben notes that advancements in self-driving technology and AI make these robots increasingly viable for urban areas.

    With the stack of self-driving computer vision, real-time decision making through machine learning and AI, understanding the world around you, these things become a no-brainer.

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    They agree that while the technology has matured, its success will depend on specific use cases and urban adoption 1.

       

    Consumer Experience

    The conversation shifts to the broader implications of robotic delivery systems. Jason points out that consumer frustration with labor shortages is driving acceptance of robots in service roles. Ben adds that the success of robots hinges on improving consumer experiences, such as faster service in fast food chains.

    The thing that drives consumers adopting experiences that are driven by robots is consumer experience.

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    They discuss how anti-robot sentiment is waning as people recognize the benefits of automation in everyday tasks 2.

       

    Ethics

    Jason and Ben explore the ethical and technical challenges of digitally recreating people using AI. They mention the controversy surrounding the AI recreation of Anthony Bourdain in a documentary, where his voice was generated to read his emails. Jason notes that Hollywood is increasingly interested in these technologies for posthumous performances.

    There was a big controversy. The director refused to tell people which part of the documentary was him actually speaking versus which one was the digitally recreated AI of him speaking.

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    The discussion highlights the blurred lines between reality and digital fabrication, raising questions about consent and authenticity 3.

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