Google DeepMind Lead Researchers on Genie 3 & the Future of World-Building

Genie 3 can generate fully interactive, persistent worlds from just text, in real time. In this episode, Google DeepMind’s Jack Parker-Holder (Research Scientist) and Shlomi Fruchter (Research Director) join Anjney Midha, Marco Mascorro, and Justine Moore of a16z, with host Erik Torenberg, to discuss how they built it, the breakthrough “special memory” feature, and the future of AI-powered gaming, robotics, and world models. They share: How Genie 3 generates interactive environments in real time Why its “special memory” feature is such a breakthrough The evolution of generative models and emergent behaviors Instruction following, text adherence, and model comparisons Potential applications in gaming, robotics, simulation, and more What’s next: Genie 4, Genie 5, and the future of world models This conversation offers a first-hand look at one of the most advanced world models ever created. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction & The Magic of Genie 3 0:41 Real-Time World Generation Breakthroughs 1:22 The Team’s Journey: From Genie 1 to Genie 3 5:03 Interactive Applications & Use Cases 8:03 Special Memory and World Consistency 12:29 Emergent Behaviors and Model Surprises 18:37 Instruction Following and Text Adherence 19:53 Comparing Genie 3 and Other Models 21:25 The Future of World Models & Modality Convergence 27:35 Downstream Applications and Open Questions 31:42 Robotics, Simulation, and Real-World Impact 39:33 Closing Thoughts & Philosophical Reflections Resources: Find Shlomi on X: https://x.com/shlomifruchter Find Jack on X: https://x.com/jparkerholder Find Anjney on X: https://x.com/anjneymidha Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins Find Marco on X: https://x.com/Mascobot Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.