From Agents to World Models: Why the Next Frontier in AI Will Simulate the World, Not Just Navigate It

As artificial intelligence (AI) agents become more capable of using tools, coordinating workflows, and automating digital tasks, developers and founders are looking at what comes next. The most challenging — and most valuable — problems in science and industry require systems that can simulate physics, test outcomes, and predict future states.

Join the conversation with Basis Research Institute, as operators, innovators, and Mintz attorneys discuss where today’s agents reach their limits and what becomes possible when AI can model and simulate the world instead of simply navigating it.

After the panel discussion designed for AI companies, venture capital funds and investors across the Bay Area are invited to connect over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The reception creates space for networking between local investors and the founders and engineers advancing cutting-edge AI work.

Who’s attending: AI founders, developers, engineers, chief technology officers, senior technology leaders, venture capital funds, and investors.

Discussion topics will include:

Where agent systems face limits and how world models unlock new capabilities
When the next category-defining AI companies might be built on prediction and simulation, not just automation
Data, intellectual property, and governance considerations for reasoning systems
Best practices for teams building and deploying these models
Insights from real-world development and implementation

From Agents to World Models: Why AI’s Next Leap Is Simulation