Spatial Signals | 8.5.2025
Weekly insights into the convergence of spatial computing + AI
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Giving AI an Imagination
A new research breakthrough is helping AI models think in a whole new way. Researchers have developed a new method called MindJourney that lets an AI “imagine” itself moving through a space before it answers a question. This simple but powerful idea dramatically improves its ability to understand 3D spaces.
Instead of just looking at a single image, this new approach prompts the AI to simulate moving around, creating new perspectives as it goes. This process is similar to how a person might look around a room to understand its layout. These newly generated viewpoints give the model more context, allowing it to reason with much greater accuracy.
Here's how it works:
First, the system's "world model" simulates possible movements, like turning its head or taking a step forward.
Then, the AI's core "vision-language model" chooses the most useful paths to explore.
New views are created and analyzed, providing the AI with "lived" experience that helps it reason better before giving a final answer.
This continuous cycle of imagine → observe → reason pushes the boundaries of what these models can do, outperforming other advanced systems on difficult spatial reasoning tasks. The new framework is so effective that it even improves the performance of already powerful models like OpenAI's o1.
So what
This is a big step forward for AI. Instead of just "parsing pixels," these models can now use a deeper understanding of how the world works.
Smarter Spatial Reasoning: This allows AI to solve complex tasks that require a deep understanding of 3D space, like knowing what's around a corner or how objects relate to each other.
A Shift to the Real World: Concepts like camera motion, depth, and perspective are no longer just visual cues; they are now an integral part of the AI's reasoning process. This moves the technology from being a "toy" to a practical "tool" that could be used in real-world applications like robotics and augmented reality.
The Power of Exploration: This new method transforms how AI answers questions. It doesn't just respond based on the information it's given; it actively explores and imagines the possibilities, making every question an opportunity for a journey.
A question for life…
If a machine can learn by imagining... what’s stopping us?
In a world obsessed with certainty, we often devalue the act of wondering. But here is AI, improving its intelligence not by being told more—but by imagining more.
By simulating new perspectives before responding—like pacing a room to see what’s hidden—these systems reason better not by being told, but by exploring.
The lesson here isn’t that AI is becoming human. It’s that, in our chase for certainty, we’ve forgotten something deeply human ourselves — Imagination isn’t a detour from clarity. It can be where/how understanding begins.
Favorite Content of the Week
Article | The Empathic Metaverse
I’m interviewing the lead author of this paper, Yun Suen Pai, on the podcast this week.
It proposes virtual environments that respond to users’ emotional and physiological states using biometric data like heart rate or EEG. By enabling avatars and digital spaces to sense and reflect our internal experiences, these systems can foster deeper emotional connection and support within virtual worlds.
This shift—from simulating presence to empathizing with it—could transform the metaverse into a tool for care, inclusion, and shared understanding.
Should make for an interesting convo…
