Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Doctor Ryan Julian is a research scientist in embodied AI. He works on large-scale robotics foundation models at DeepMind and got his PhD in machine learning at USC in 2021.
In our conversation today, we discuss…
* What makes a robot a robot, and what makes robotics so difficult,
* The promise of robotic foundation models and strategies to overcome the data bottleneck,
* Why full labor replacement is far less likely than human-robot synergy,
* China’s top players in the robotic industry, and what sets them apart from American companies and research institutions,
* How robots will impact manufacturing, and how quickly we can expect to see robotics take off.
O*NET’s ontology of labor: onetcenter.org/database.html
ChinaTalk’s coverage of Unitree: https://www.chinatalk.media/p/unitree-ceo-on-chinas-robot-revolution
X Accounts:
https://x.com/chris_j_paxton
https://x.com/xiao_ted
https://x.com/ChongZitaZhang
https://x.com/TheHumanoidHub
Blogs and other:
generalrobots.substack.com
vanhoucke.medium.com
sergeylevine.substack.com
spectrum.ieee.org/topic/robotics/
Outro music: Daft Punk - Motherboard (YouTube Link)
Today’s post is brought to you by 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit that helps people find fulfilling careers that do good. 80,000 Hours — named for the average length of a career — has been doing in-depth research on AI issues for over a decade, producing reports on how the US and China can manage existential risk, scenarios for potential AI catastrophe, and examining the concrete steps you can take to help ensure AI development goes well.
Their research suggests that working to reduce risks from advanced AI could be one of the most impactful ways to make a positive difference in the world.
They provide free resources to help you contribute, including:
* Detailed career reviews for paths like AI safety technical research, AI governance, information security, and AI hardware,
* A job board with hundreds of high-impact opportunities,
* A podcast featuring deep conversations with experts like Carl Shulman, Ajeya Cotra, and Tom Davidson,
* Free, one-on-one career advising to help you find your best fit.
To learn more and access their research-backed career guides, visit 80000hours.org/ChinaTalk.
To read their report about AI coordination between the US and China, visit 80000hours.org/chinatalkcoord.
YOU SHOULD SIGN UP TO MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!
chinatalk.substack.com
The podcast is also available in your favorite app, just search ChinaTalk!
Doctor Ryan Julian is a research scientist in embodied AI. He works on large-scale robotics foundation models at DeepMind and got his PhD in machine learning at USC in 2021.
In our conversation today, we discuss…
* What makes a robot a robot, and what makes robotics so difficult,
* The promise of robotic foundation models and strategies to overcome the data bottleneck,
* Why full labor replacement is far less likely than human-robot synergy,
* China’s top players in the robotic industry, and what sets them apart from American companies and research institutions,
* How robots will impact manufacturing, and how quickly we can expect to see robotics take off.
O*NET’s ontology of labor: onetcenter.org/database.html
ChinaTalk’s coverage of Unitree: https://www.chinatalk.media/p/unitree-ceo-on-chinas-robot-revolution
X Accounts:
https://x.com/chris_j_paxton
https://x.com/xiao_ted
https://x.com/ChongZitaZhang
https://x.com/TheHumanoidHub
Blogs and other:
generalrobots.substack.com
vanhoucke.medium.com
sergeylevine.substack.com
spectrum.ieee.org/topic/robotics/
Outro music: Daft Punk - Motherboard (YouTube Link)
Today’s post is brought to you by 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit that helps people find fulfilling careers that do good. 80,000 Hours — named for the average length of a career — has been doing in-depth research on AI issues for over a decade, producing reports on how the US and China can manage existential risk, scenarios for potential AI catastrophe, and examining the concrete steps you can take to help ensure AI development goes well.
Their research suggests that working to reduce risks from advanced AI could be one of the most impactful ways to make a positive difference in the world.
They provide free resources to help you contribute, including:
* Detailed career reviews for paths like AI safety technical research, AI governance, information security, and AI hardware,
* A job board with hundreds of high-impact opportunities,
* A podcast featuring deep conversations with experts like Carl Shulman, Ajeya Cotra, and Tom Davidson,
* Free, one-on-one career advising to help you find your best fit.
To learn more and access their research-backed career guides, visit 80000hours.org/ChinaTalk.
To read their report about AI coordination between the US and China, visit 80000hours.org/chinatalkcoord.
YOU SHOULD SIGN UP TO MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!
chinatalk.substack.com
The podcast is also available in your favorite app, just search ChinaTalk!
