The a16z Show · Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Simulation plays a critical role in robotics for counterfactual reasoning, a capability that real-world data alone cannot provide. This is particularly important given the vast complexity of real-world scenarios that are impossible to capture entirely through physical data collection.
“Think about human intelligence. We do a lot of simulation in our head. You know why there is a very important role simulation plays in place that real world data doesn't play, which is counterfactual reasoning.”
“And I want to add to this and be a slightly philosophical here is that there isn't a binary choice between simulation or no simulation. All of this comes together to make robotics work. Think about human brains. We do a lot of simulation in our head. You know, why? There's a very important role simulation plays in place that real world data doesn't play, which is counterfactual reasoning.”
“And that is very important in robotics because we just do not have, cannot possibly have enough real world data for that.”