World Models Will Soon Be Inescapable. Here’s What You Need to Know

Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, has shifted towards building world models: AI systems that use images to predict how scenes change and create simulated 3D environments. These models could help robots and driverless cars practise safely, and may affect daily life even for people who never use them directly.

Robots could train on simulations made from photos of their intended surroundings, while Wayve uses dashcam footage to recreate hazardous road conditions for autonomous-car testing. Games companies and major AI firms are also investing in the technology; one startup raised more than $1 billion, and World Labs was acquired by AMD for over $8 billion. The systems also rely on people recording everyday activities, creating gig work that turns footage of domestic tasks into training data.