Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 29 transcripts.
Clear all filters- a16z13 min
AI in 2026: 3 Predictions For What’s To Come (a16z Big Ideas)
Oliver Hsu, Bryan Kim, David Haber
Speakers Oliver Hsu, Brian Kim, and David Haber analyze distinct trajectories for AI adoption, ranging from autonomous scientific discovery in life sciences to consumer platforms shifting focus from productivity to digital connectivity. Hsu identifies the maturation of robot learning and simulation as prerequisites for closing the loop on self-driving labs, while Kim argues that future consumer value hinges on AI agents facilitating human relationships through deep emotional engagement. Concurrently, Haber demonstrates that the most robust business models integrate AI to directly reinforce revenue generation and proprietary data loops, as seen in contingency law firms and loan servicing platforms that scale success rather than merely cutting costs.
- a16z18 min
AI Is Becoming a Regional Race
Modern AI is classified as a General Purpose Technology diffusing faster than previous innovations, forcing nation-states to prioritize the strategic choice of building or buying compute infrastructure over the next 24 months. The resulting global landscape is bifurcating into "hypercenters" that own the full stack and "compute deserts," compelling smaller nations to form value-aligned joint ventures with major powers rather than attempting infeasible total vertical sovereignty. True national autonomy now depends on securing critical components like energy and data while navigating divergent regulatory regimes that determine whether a country becomes a leader or a dependent in the new AI economy.
- a16z10 min
Disrupt Yourself
The speaker frames the current transition in life sciences as an industrial revolution where biology shifts from artisanal discovery to engineered automation, urging leaders to proactively disrupt themselves before market forces do. Drawing parallels to strategic pivots by Jensen Huang at Nvidia and Steve Jobs with AT&T, the presentation defines corporate survival as a form of social engineering that prioritizes future ecosystems over existing profitability. Ultimately, the event calls for redefining healthcare and entertainment as technology sectors to fundamentally reshape illness prevention and treatment.
- a16z10 min
The Future of AI Is Amazing
The speaker argues that after seven decades of technical success, artificial intelligence has finally triggered a platform shift by eliminating the high marginal costs of creation and reasoning through foundation models. This economic transformation reduces the price of tasks like image generation and legal analysis by orders of magnitude, creating elastic demand that mirrors the historical impacts of the microchip and internet. Looking forward, this shift establishes a clear path toward economically viable embodied AGI, provided that venture capital, the tech sector, and Washington D.C. align their resources to support the necessary infrastructure and regulation.
- a16z7 min
The Future of Ecommerce by Connie Chan
The event outlines a strategic shift in Western e-commerce from static search models to AI-driven discovery commerce that leverages social proof and live streaming to replicate the engagement of physical retail. Key platforms and brands are deploying technologies like augmented reality and personalized algorithms to mitigate high return rates while monetizing overstock through urgency-based promotions. This evolution aims to bridge the online-offline gap by combining infinite digital inventory with tactile shopping experiences, ultimately fostering a virtuous cycle of higher conversion and sustainability.
- a16z11 min
Intro to American Dynamism
David Ulevitch, Katherine Boyle
Andreessen Horowitz has launched its "American Dynamism" practice to fund founders building software solutions for under-optimized sectors like housing, defense, and logistics. The initiative leverages a surge of technical talent and shifting investor sentiment to back distributed companies, including veterans and former officials, that address critical public infrastructure. Since its announcement, the firm has executed over a dozen investments targeting these traditional industries to align private innovation with national interests.
- a16z20 min
Rebooting the Arsenal of Democracy
Speaker Palmer Lucky contrasts the US Department of Defense's reliance on stagnating legacy systems with the rapid integration of commercial technology by adversaries like China and Russia. Founding Anduril to address this gap, Lucky advocates for a shift toward software-first architecture and diverse startup ecosystems to replace the risk-averse, process-focused practices of traditional prime contractors. Urgent reforms are required to redirect top engineering talent and investment toward autonomous systems that can ensure deterrence against modern asymmetric threats.
- a16z9 min
Investing in Child Care Entrepreneurs
Chris Bennett, Peter van de Ven
Wonder School addresses the $60 billion annual economic loss and widespread childcare deserts by transforming home-based providers into profitable micro-enterprises through a technology-driven platform. The organization, which has secured $50 million in venture capital and supports 45,000 programs, bypasses traditional infrastructure costs to accelerate licensing and expand access in states like Michigan and Nevada. By aligning with developmental research on early childhood brain growth, this model aims to scale a network that empowers educators to deliver high-quality, community-based care while solving systemic workforce shortages.
- a16z10 min
A New Golden Age of Space with John Gedmark
Astranis CEO John Gedmark is leading a shift in the space industry by deploying cost-effective, reusable small satellites to fill high-orbit broadband gaps for nations like Peru and Alaska. Beyond commercial applications, the company is rapidly executing Department of Defense contracts to create resilient satellite architectures that counter China's rising launch frequency and aggressive orbital maneuvers. This public-private collaboration leverages the speed of venture-backed innovation to address national security needs, aiming to replace vulnerable, high-value assets with distributed, agile systems.
- a16z11 min
Modernizing America's Safety Net Through Public Interest Technology
Propel, founded by former tech executive Tanya Cushman, operates as a non-government entity that aggregates fragmented state data to provide low-income SNAP recipients with modern mobile access to their benefit balances and transaction histories. The organization generates revenue through private sector partnerships in digital grocery savings, employment placement, and financial infrastructure services rather than charging users or the government, thereby creating a sustainable model to address "sticky poverty." Currently employing a support team of former benefit recipients and advocating with the CFPB for expanded EBT data rights, Propel serves over five million families monthly while facilitating $3 million in direct cash grants through its unique socioeconomic data capabilities.
- a16z13 min
Why DAOs Matter for Digital Art
Digital artist People Pleaser transitioned from traditional animation to the cryptocurrency sector, generating a 310 ETH sale for her Uniswap v3 teaser that catalyzed the creation of Pleaser DAO. Led by co-founder Layton Cusack of Pool Together, this decentralized organization functions as a collective patron for DeFi artists while prioritizing charitable donations and innovative financial mechanisms like NFT fractionalization. Building on this mission, Pleaser immediately launched a follow-up NFT titled "Apes Together Strong," which funds autism advocacy and further explores the integration of animation, community governance, and DeFi lending protocols.
- a16z19 min
Healthcare Has Left the Building
A structural transformation is dissolving traditional silos between payers, providers, and technology firms to shift care from centralized hospitals to home settings while leveraging mobile diagnostics and AI-driven logistics. Major market entrants are challenging established models through value-based care initiatives and programmed therapies that enable proactive monitoring and personalized treatments like gene editing. This evolution modernizes the medical ecosystem to prioritize patient outcomes and efficiency, though the fundamental human need for care remains the driving force behind these technological accelerations.
- a16z16 min
The 5 Revolutions in Cancer Treatment
Jonathan Lim, Patrick, Jimmy Carter
Drawing on personal loss and a career launching seven approved oncology products, the speaker argues that eradicating cancer requires integrating five distinct revolutions: surgery and radiation, genomically targeted therapy, immunotherapy, the targeting of extra-chromosomal DNA, and metabolic interventions. While highlighting breakthroughs such as the recovery of metastatic patients via drugs like Entrectinib and Keytruda, the presentation emphasizes that current single-modality approaches fail to address the complexity of advanced disease or the role of factors like ecDNA and nutrition. Ultimately, the event advocates for a personalized, multimodal strategy that combines these scientific advances to improve long-term survival rates beyond the current limits of one-third of patients.
- a16z18 min
The Future Will Be Genetically Engineered
Asimov, a Cambridge-based company founded by Alec, is redefining biotechnology by merging software engineering with biology to create living systems that function as advanced molecular nanotechnology. Building on a history of genetic milestones ranging from insulin production to CRISPR-like therapies, the firm utilizes machine learning and computer-aided design to develop next-generation therapeutics, such as personalized cancer vaccines, and future applications including sustainable manufacturing and space exploration. This shift from manual genetic manipulation to computational genome design aims to overcome biological complexity, positioning engineered biology as a ubiquitous infrastructure comparable to integrated circuits.
- a16z20 min
The Latest in Cyber Attacks
A strategic shift in the cybersecurity landscape has redirected attacker focus from costly corporate systems to individuals, driven by the economic disparity where compromising an account costs $100 versus millions for device exploits. This pivot has enabled a $26 billion Business Email Compromise industry relying on social engineering and physical access vectors like SIM porting, which recently compromised high-profile targets such as Jack Dorsey. To counter these threats, experts advocate a defense stack combining hardware-stored security keys, password managers, and physical security measures like smart surveillance to restore organizational herd immunity.