Maxwell Zeff, a senior reporter at TechCrunch specializing in artificial intelligence, recently shed light on the impressive launch of Hugging Face’s new programmable robot, Reachy Mini. The unveiling took place just days ago, and the robot has already made headlines by generating an astonishing $500,000 in sales within its first 24 hours. As co-founder and CTO of the San Francisco–based nonprofit AI for an Aging World, Zeff is intimately familiar with AI technologies. He leverages his deep experience as a writer for such noteworthy outlets as Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review, and CBS Interactive.
On a recent episode of the Equity podcast, Zeff joined forces with TechCrunch reporter Kirsten Korosec. They unlocked the cool functions of Reachy Mini and reflected on how its development can drive the growth of the robotics industry. Korosec has an excellent track record in covering major advancements in AI. In the last few months, she’s covered what the fallout from the Silicon Valley Bank crisis could be. Between them, they gave some great perspective on what makes Reachy Mini unique in an increasingly competitive market.
The Reachy Mini bots are extremely programmable mechanics, giving users a great deal of flexibility in customizing the robots to build new applications. This unprecedented level of customization is extremely attractive to developers and enterprises looking to weave generative AI-powered solutions into their own workflows and business processes. The 122% increase in sales in less than two years provides evidence of demand for more versatile robots that can be easily re-purposed.
Given his background, Zeff is an authoritative and important voice on AI. He’s been a hands-on participant in the development of AI during his entire career. His writing provides anyone an opportunity to read carefully considered critiques of emerging technologies. His commitment to technology extends well past journalism. When he’s not being a journalism boy, he enjoys hiking, biking and eating his way through the Bay’s rich culinary landscape.
Korosec carries a depth of knowledge—from the industry and smart city sectors—to her reporting. She has reported extensively on the rise of AI. This is what has made her a leading authority in understanding the impact artificial intelligence will have on industries. During the podcast, she spoke about the possibilities and the promise of products such as Reachy Mini. Yet, if passed, they’d go a long way to forging a future for robotics and AI applications.
As Hugging Face continues to innovate with products like Reachy Mini, industry experts like Zeff and Korosec remain dedicated to chronicling these developments. Their conversations educate listeners and ignite curiosity. They help fuel an important continuous conversation for the positive potential of AI technology to indeed be transformative.