AI at Roblox: From Models to Multiplayer Worlds
With Kiran Bhat and Alberto Hojel
In this episode of Tech Talks, Roblox Founder & CEO Dave Baszucki is joined by Kiran Bhat and Alberto Hojel for a deep dive into new techniques for creation powered by generative AI. We explore how Roblox's 3D-native foundation model builds on powerful ideas from text and image modalities, allowing creators to build functional 4D objects and worlds from prompts. We also discuss our vision for real-time video world models for gaming, leveraging our 3D simulation backbone. If you've ever wondered how AI scales to millions of players in a shared, physics-based environment, this deep dive is for you.
Age Estimation
With Rajiv Bhatia, Naren Koneru, and Eliza Jacobs
In this episode of Tech Talks, Roblox Founder & CEO Dave Baszucki is joined by Rajiv Bhatia (Head of Product, User & Discovery), Naren Koneru (Engineering Lead, Safety), and Eliza Jacobs (Head of Safety Policy) for a deep dive into one of the most important challenges facing online platforms today: enabling authentic communication while keeping users safe.
The conversation explores Roblox’s new age estimation and age check technology, including how facial age estimation works, why it’s being introduced now, and how it fits into Roblox’s broader, layered approach to safety and civility. The group discusses the engineering breakthroughs that made this possible, the privacy-preserving design behind the system, and how policy, product, and engineering come together to create developmentally appropriate experiences for users of all ages.
SLIM and Cloud Transcoding
With Varun Mani, Sergey Makeev, and Tsvetan Tsvetanov
In this episode of Tech Talks, founder and CEO David Baszucki sits down with Roblox product and engineering leaders Varun Mani, Sergey Makeev, and Tsvetan Tsvetanov to break down how SLIM (a hierarchical, dynamic level-of-detail system) and Cloud Transcoding are redefining what’s possible on Roblox.
The conversation covers how Roblox streams interactive 3D worlds in real time, how transcoding generates the optimal asset representation for every device, and how SLIM compresses complex environments and avatars into lightweight composite models. The group also explores how these systems unlock richer creator freedom, larger multiplayer worlds, and a path toward AI-assisted upsampling and future-proof engine technology.
Creator
With Nick Tornow and Jandel
In this episode of Tech Talks, founder and CEO David Baszucki sits down with Nick Tornow and Roblox creator Jandel to discuss the future of creation on Roblox. The conversation covers how Grow a Garden became one of the most popular experiences on the platform, the engineering breakthroughs that make massive scale and live events possible, and how AI, real-time collaboration, and safety systems are empowering creators today and shaping what’s ahead.