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PODCAST

TechFirst with John Koetsier

Tech that is changing the world. Innovators who are shaping the future. Deep discussions with diverse leaders from Silicon Valley giants and scrappy global startups. Plus some short monologues based on my Forbes columns.

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All Episodes

00:20:16

AI agents = dream team for creators?

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/11/05

Can AI give every creator their own virtual team? Maybe, thanks to a new platform from RHEI called Made, which offers Milo, an AI agent who becomes your creator director, Zara, an AI agent who is your community manager, and Amie, a third AI agent who takes on the role of relationship manager.And, apparently, more agents are coming soon.The creator economy is bigger than ever, but so is burnout. Tens of millions of creators are trying to do everything themselves: strategy, scripting, editing,

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00:17:40

Amazon, NVIDIA, and a new "physical AI" fellowship

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/11/01

What happens when Amazon, NVIDIA, and MassRobotics team up to merge generative AI with robotics?In this episode of TechFirst we chat with Amazon's Taimur Rashid, Head of Generative AI and Innovation Delivery. We talk about "physical AI" ... AI with spatial awareness and the ability to act safely and intelligently in the real world.We also chat about the first cohort of a new accelerator for robotics startups.It's sponsored by Amazon and NVIDIA, run by MassRobotics, and includes

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00:29:57

AGI: will it kill us or save us?

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/10/28

Artificial general intelligence (AGI) could be humanity’s greatest invention ... or our biggest risk.In this episode of TechFirst, I talk with Dr. Ben Goertzel, CEO and founder of SingularityNET, about the future of AGI, the possibility of superintelligence, and what happens when machines think beyond human programming.We cover: • Is AGI inevitable? How soon will it arrive? • Will AGI kill us … or save us? • Why decentralization and blockchain could make AGI safer • How large language models (LLMs)

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00:28:18

9 million robot deliveries (!!!)

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/10/15

What changes when robots deliver everything?Starship Technologies has already completed 9 million autonomous deliveries, crossed roads over 200 million times, and operates thousands of sidewalk delivery robots across Europe and the U.S. Now they’re scaling into American cities ... and they say they’re ready to change your worldIn this episode of TechFirst, I speak with Ahti Heinla, co-founder and CEO of Starship and co-founder of Skype, about: - How Starship’s robots navigate without GPS - What

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00:17:56

1 million qubits in 50 square millimeters (!!)

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/10/11

Imagine a quantum computer with a million physical qubits in a space smaller than a sticky note.That’s exactly what Quantum Art is building. In this TechFirst episode, I chat with CEO Tal David, who shares his team’s vision to deliver quantum systems with: • 100x more parallel operations • 100x more gates per second • A footprint up to 50x smaller than competitorsWe also dive into the four key tech breakthroughs behind this roadmap to scale Quantum Art's computer:1. Multi-qubit gates capable of

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00:30:37

Robotic hands: a $50 trillion opportunity

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/09/30

Are humanoid robots distracting us from the real unlock in robotics ... hands? In this TechFirst episode, host John Koetsier digs into the hardest (and most valuable) problem in robotics: dexterous manipulation. Guest Mike Obolonsky, Partner at Cortical Ventures, argues that about $50 trillion of global economic activity flows through “hands work,” yet manipulation startups have raised only a fraction of what locomotion and autonomy companies have. We break down why hands are so hard (actuators,

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00:30:39

Do robots really need legs?

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/08/30

Are humanoid robots the future… or a $100B mistake?Over 100 companies—from Meta to Amazon—are betting big on humanoids. But are we chasing a sci-fi dream that’s not practical or profitable?In this TechFirst episode, I chat with Bren Pierce, robotics OG and CEO of Kinisi Robots. We cover: - Why legs might be overhyped - How LLMs are transforming robots into agents - The real cost (and complexity) of robotic hands - Why warehouse robots work best with wheels - The geopolitical robot arms race between

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00:25:29

This kills 10,000 weeds per minute with lasers

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/08/27

The future could be much healthier for both farmers and everyone who eats, thanks to farm robots that kill weeds with lasers. In this episode of TechFirst, we chat with Paul Mikesell, CEO of Carbon Robotics, to discuss groundbreaking advancements in agricultural technology. Paul shares updates since our last conversation in 2021, including the launch of LaserWeeder G2 and Carbon's autonomous tractor technology: AutoTractor. LaserWeeder G2 quick facts: - Modular design: Swappable laser “modules”

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00:16:45

Smart farm robot cuts herbicide, fertilizer use by 90%

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/08/09

Can robots reduce herbicide and fertilizer use on farms by up to 90%?Probably yes.In this episode of TechFirst we chat with Verdant Robotics' CEO Gabe Sibley about SharpShooter, the company's state-of-the-art farm tech that precisely targets herbicide and fertilizer application, massively reducing chemical use.That's huge for the environment.It's also huge for farmer's pocketbooks ... because herbicide and fertilizer are increasingly expensive.We dive into: - How Sharpshooter

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00:36:18

Welcome to the agentic browser

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/07/19

Will your next browser be AI-enabled? AI-first? Perhaps even an AI agent?In this episode of TechFirst, John Koetsier sits down with Henrik Lexow, Senior Product Leader at Opera, to explore Opera Neon, a big step toward agentic browsers that think, act, and create alongside you.(And buy stuff you want, simply hard problems, and do some of your work for you.)Opera’s new browser integrates real AI agents capable of executing multi-step tasks, interacting with web apps, summarizing content, and even

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00:41:06

Nuclear waste can solve our AI power problem (and more)

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/07/04

Can nuclear waste solve the energy crisis caused by AI data centers? Maybe. And maybe much more, including providing rare elements we need like rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, krypto-85, Americium-241, and more.Amazingly:- 96% of nuclear fuel’s energy is left after it's "used"- Recycling can reduce 10,000-year waste storage needs to just 300 years- Curio’s new process avoids toxic nitric acid and extracts valuable isotopes- 1 recycling plant could meet a third of America’s nuclear fuel

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00:33:51

Neura Robotics's new humanoid robot can lift 220 pounds

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/06/26

Neura Robotics officially launched shed 4NE-1 this week. It's the leading European humanoid robot and it's the most powerful humanoid robot in existence right, as far as I'm aware, able to life 100kg or 220 pounds.Neura also released a plan to build 5 million robots by 2030, a new home service robot named MiPA, a new 'Omnisensor' technology platform for integrating input from multiple types of sensors, and an app store for robot skills that anyone can contribute to ... and profit

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00:18:27

Tiny AI: 8 kilobyte neural networks in shoes, bikes,...

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/06/15

AI is big these days. Massive. More parameters, more memory, more capability. But what if the future is in tiny AI. Neural networks as small at 8 kilobytes on tiny chips, embedded in everything?Think smart shoes.Smart doors.Smart ... everythingIn this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier discusses the future of smart devices with Yubei Chen, co-founder of AIzip. The conversation explores how small-scale AI can revolutionize everyday objects like shoes, cameras, and baby monitors. They delve into

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00:24:23

IBM's Starling quantum computer: 20,000X faster than...

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/06/10

IBM has just unveiled its boldest quantum computing roadmap yet: Starling, the first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer—coming in 2029. Capable of running 20,000X more operations than today’s quantum machines, Starling could unlock breakthroughs in chemistry, materials science, and optimization.According to IBM, this is not just a pie-in-the-sky roadmap: they actually have the ability to make Starling happen.In this exclusive conversation, I speak with Jerry Chow, IBM Fellow and Director

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00:42:43

Inside the race to build humanoid robots with...

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/04/22

How will we scale humanoid robot product to hundreds of thousands and millions of units? In this TechFirst we do a deep dive with Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas. We chat about Apptronik's Apollo, his recent $400M+ funding round, the partnership with manufacturing giant Jabil, and much more.We also talk about innovations in AI that have accelerated robot learning and dexterous manipulation, the challenge of scaling manufacturing, and Apptronik's future vision.🎙️ Podcast Summary:Topic: The

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00:21:24

This personal AI is your 'twin mind'

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/03/12

Would you want a personal AI that acts as your twin mind? I've always dreamed of never forgetting anything. And instantly and effortlessly remembering anything I need, right away. Now, an AI-driven app called TwinMind might help me do something similar.In this episode of TechFirst we chat with Daniel George, the CEO of TwinMind. This innovative AI app aims to become your second brain, capturing and processing your life events in real-time. We chat about George's inspiration behind TwinMind,

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00:42:54

Massive Microsoft quantum computer breakthrough via...

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/02/19

Microsoft just announced a massive quantum computer breakthrough that uses an entirely new state of matter. The new quantum computer uses topological superconductors to create stable qubits with low error rates. Topological superconductors enable stable qubits by utilizing Majorana zero modes to protect quantum information from decoherence.The result: Microsoft should have a fault-tolerant usable quantum computer this decade. As in, before 2030.In this TechFirst, we talk with Microsoft's head of

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00:39:21

Europe's answer to humanoid robots: 'best in world'...

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/02/15

What humanoid robots is Europe working on? There are maybe 100 humanoid robot companies on the planet, and 16 major ones, but none in Europe according to Peter Diamandis' recent report. That might just have changed.Neura Robotics out of Germany is working on the third generation of its 4NE-1 robot and CEO David Reger says in June they'll be releasing it. And it should be the best humanoid robot on the planet, he says.In this TechFirst we sit down and chat about Europe's answer to

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00:40:06

Humanoid robots in homes by 2026: Peter Diamandis

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/01/17

It feels like we're at a tipping point right now in humanoid robotics. Models are getting released faster and faster, more and more capable than ever. Robots are actually taking paying gigs in warehouses and factories, and there's accelerating innovation.Author, engineer, doctor, investor, and entrepreneur Peter Diamandis just released a major report on the entire industry, and together we dive into what's happening and what's changing. One prediction he made: we'll have

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00:21:45

Humanoid robots: friends not just workers?

TechFirst with John Koetsier ·

2025/01/04

Most of the time when we're talking about humanoid robots, we're talking about laborers ... workers who will fill our factories and fields.What about friends? Companions? Or more? In this episode of TechFirst, host John Koetsier chats with Andrew Kiguel, CEO of Realbotix, and Aria, his hyper-realistic AI-integrated robot. We talk about the development, capabilities, and future applications of robots designed for companionship and interaction, including their costs, AI integration, and how big

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