Simulating everything, sort of: The promise and limits of world models

Here's something that might surprise you — researchers are now trying to create AI that can simulate everything, or at least a lot more than just language. According to Samuel Axon writing in Ars Technica, these so-called 'world models' aim to mirror the physical world, not just process words. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — what Axon points out is that while these models show promise, they're not perfect. They can approximate environments, but often struggle with accuracy or scale, especially when it comes to the messy details of real life. So, the hope is they’ll someday help AI understand and predict physical interactions, from robotics to complex systems. But here’s the thing — these models are still limited. They’re sort of like a rough sketch of reality, not the full picture. The big takeaway? The future isn’t about building an all-seeing simulation, but about smarter, faster learning loops that get us closer, faster.