From Prediction to Simulation: Joon Sung Park on Teaching AI to Shape the Future

Why it matters

In a deep-dive Latent Space conversation, Simile AI founder Joon Sung Park shares insights on moving from language model prediction to world simulation. Drawing on his research at Stanford and Google, he explores how AI can not only answer questions but actively construct future scenarios, giving systems planning and action capabilities.

Key takeaways

• Prediction is only a foundation; true intelligence requires simulating a space of possibilities.
• In building embodied agents, environment feedback matters more than static data.
• Future AI should generate strategic futures aligned with user goals.
• From research to startup, academic visions must translate into productized simulation frameworks.