This week, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg discuss the major disruptions in tech and business driven by AI advancements, examining reactions to DeepSeek's announcements, stock impacts on companies like Nvidia, volatility in AI investments, Meta's Threads, Elon Musk’s influence on X, the role of tech in a politically charged landscape, and how governments could shape industrial strategies to support national champions.

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Highlights from the Episode:

• The announcement of DeepSeek's AI model caused significant market reactions, particularly affecting NVIDIA and other AI-related stocks.
• Hedge funds' risk management practices, which typically involve reducing exposure across related positions during increased volatility, can amplify market reactions and trigger cascading effects across multiple sectors.
• While DeepSeek demonstrates impressive optimization with limited resources, US companies maintain advantages in hardware and talent depth, positioning them to catch up with increased investment in AI infrastructure.
• Discussion of Threads vs. X (formerly Twitter) highlighted the importance of network effects.
• The $100B-500B AI infrastructure project announcement signals a long-term commitment to AI development, with its massive scale potentially deterring competitors and resembling SoftBank's strategy of over-funding to dominate markets.

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co

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https://twitter.com/ByrneHobart (Byrne)

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