a16z Live is the place to listen to recorded live discussions and events featuring, hosted, or co-hosted by a16z partners (with outside voices too).
As a remi...
How to Build a Thriving AI Ecosystem with Lisa Su, CEO of AMD
High-performance compute is the bedrock of generative AI, and if there’s anyone who knows about high-performance chips, it’s AMD CEO Lisa Su. In this wide-ranging conversation with a16z Operating Partner Bob Swan—himself formerly CEO of Intel—Lisa lays out her vision for the evolution of compute within the AI ecosystem, touching not only on raw power and the continuation of Moore’s Law, but also how AMD will support “the right compute for each form factor” for a wider ranges of real-world gen AI use cases. Lisa also shares her perspective on the state of chip manufacturing, how AMD matches their R&D cycles to fast-moving industries, and how partnerships build strong ecosystems. Read more, including a full transcript, here: https://a16z.com/how-to-build-ai-ecos... Time stamps:[00:01:37] Lisa's career in compute[00:04:48] Compute in the genAI era[00:09:39] High performance or multimodal?[00:10:47] Making the genAI ecosystem open[00:14:16] The chip supply chain[00:17:53] Resiliency and the CHIPS Act[00:20:54] How AMD balances long development cycles with short term innovation[00:24:48] Learnings from the hyperscaler market[00:26:54] What being fabless means for AMD[00:31:24] Lisa's advice for startup foundersFind more content from our AI Revolution series on www.a16z.com/AIRevolution. Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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a16z Growth's David George on His Frameworks for Late-Stage Investing
Finding and backing companies that can reach escape velocity is the name of the game over here at a16z Growth—but picking those winners is far from easy. David George, head of the a16z Growth fund, sat down with the I/O podcast to discuss his mental models for growth-stage investing, what it really takes to go public, where AI is today and where it’s headed, and more. [00:03:19] What makes Andreessen Horowitz different[00:08:29] David's mental model for investing[00:18:23] Focusing on inputs, not outputs[00:26:52] What constitutes a growth company?[00:29:14] David's three investing frameworks[00:36:45] How to measure the ROI of R&D[00:42:15] What it takes to go public today[00:46:43] AI: market structure and infrastructure vs. application layersTo read a transcript of this conversation, click here.
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58:31
Why Human Data is Key to AI: Alexandr Wang from Scale AI
In this conversation with a16z general partner David George, Scale AI founder and CEO Alexandr Wang discusses the three pillars of AI—models, compute, and data—and how creating abundant data is core to the evolution of gen AI. With Scale’s work across enterprise, automotive, and the public sector, Alex is also building the critical infrastructure that will allow any organization to use their proprietary data to build bespoke gen AI applications. In addition to talking about frontier data, Alex also shares his learnings from the growth of Scale, his approach to leadership, and what he thinks growth-stage founder/CEOs tend to get wrong about hiring. Read more, including a full transcript, here: https://a16z.com/frontier-data-foundries-alex-wang-scale-ai/Timestamps: [00:00:58] How frontier data will change gen AI [00:08:47] Are big tech companies over-investing in AI? [00:14:39] Where the best AI businesses will thrive [00:17:05] How enterprise businesses are approaching AI adoption [00:19:50] What does the next phase of gen AI products look like? [00:23:23] Alex's approach to scaling Scale [00:25:36] The founder fallacy [00:30:12] MEI and how Alex views talent acquisition
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In the Vault: Assessing AI Impact vs. Hype with John Stecher of Blackstone
a16z general partner David Haber talks to John Stecher, Chief Technology Officer at Blackstone, where he advances cutting-edge technology, heads up innovation investing, and advises the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies. The conversation covers how he decides whether to build tech in-house or partner with startups, what qualities he’s looking for in early stage companies, and how he sees AI impacting real estate, credit, energy, and ecommerce.0:00-1:05 Intro1:06-3:55 Changes in finance x tech over the past 2 decades3:56-5:06 Investing in "themes" across asset classes5:07-7:00 What the CTO role entails 7:01-9:00 "Build it" vs. "buy it": trade-offs9:01-11:57 Advice for early stage companies11:58-16:37 Ways Blackstone is incorporating generative AI16:38-17:46 How AI changes the role of an analyst17:47-21:04 Gen AI's impact on private equity, real estate, credit, more 21:05-22:54 How Blackstone will evolve over the next five years22:55-23:26 OutroPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should not be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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23:25
In the Vault: AI and Banking Innovation with Tim Karpoff of Citi
a16z general partner David Haber and fintech partner Marc Andrusko talk to Tim Karpoff, the Global Head of Strategy at Citi, where he guides the bank’s core focus areas, as well as future investment in emerging tech like AI. The conversation covers the shifting landscape of banking policy and regulation, the increasingly important role startups are playing in partnership with big banks, and where Tim disagrees with the zeitgeist when it comes to the adoption of AI in financial services.0:00-1:05 Intro1:06-2:28 Navigating bureaucracy2:29-4:26 What "chief strategy officer" entails 4:27-8:18 Citi's role in the banking ecosystem8:19-9:16 Fallout from the 2023 banking crisis9:17-13:10 Citi's revised risk controls and tech investment13:11-14:59 How Citi works with startups15:00-20:00 Citi's future: AI and regulation20:01-23:33 What people get wrong when it comes to AI 23:33-24:12 OutroPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
a16z Live is the place to listen to recorded live discussions and events featuring, hosted, or co-hosted by a16z partners (with outside voices too).
As a reminder, all content posted here is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Views expressed are those of the individuals and not the views of Andreessen Horowitz, please see a16z.com/disclosures for more.
To learn more about the broader a16z Podcast network and shows, please visit a16z.com/podnetwork.