Why AI Breakthroughs Happen Beyond Silicon Valley

Welcome to the Artificial Intelligence Podcast with Jonathan Green! In this episode, we look beyond Silicon Valley to explore how AI is transforming food, health, and the future of what we eat with our special guest, Aaditi Tamhankar—a venture capitalist deeply focused on the future of food, health tech, and biology-driven innovation.

Aaditi explains why some of the most important breakthroughs in AI are happening outside traditional tech hubs—in labs, farms, kitchens, and clinics. She walks us through how AI is being used to:

• Design food products faster and smarter
• Personalize nutrition at the individual level
• Extend healthy lifespan by shifting focus from treatment to prevention
• Democratize health knowledge for everyday people, not just elites

We also dive into the hidden physical cost of AI—its demand for electricity, water, and infrastructure—and how that connects to larger shifts like the resurgence of nuclear power.

From barcode-scanning food apps to microbiome analysis, smart toilets, and AI-powered health screenings via your smartphone camera, Aaditi paints a picture of a world where health data becomes more objective, accessible, and actionable for everyone—especially in developing countries where smartphones are far more common than laptops.

Notable Quotes:

• “Over the next 20 minutes I’m gonna show you why some of the most important breakthroughs in AI are happening outside of Silicon Valley.” – Aaditi Tamhankar
• “We live in this world with conflicting information, disinformation, and information from dubious sources… consumers are very confused right now.” – Aaditi Tamhankar
• “What might change your life? Understanding the microbiome.” – Aaditi Tamhankar
• “Right now we’re in this time where it’s big food against big pharma. You have two Goliaths battling it out.” – Aaditi Tamhankar
• “One in eight Americans has already been on a GLP‑1. These drugs have only really been used for weight loss for a couple of years—that’s insane.” – Aaditi Tamhankar
• “We think AI is this digital thing that has no impact on the world, but it uses massive amounts of power, electricity, space, and water.” – Jonathan Green
• “If you don’t eat a lot of sweet stuff, your definition of sweet really shifts. A strawberry can become a 10 out of 10 sweet.” – Jonathan Green

Connect with Aaditi Tamhankar:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaditi-tamhankar/
• TikTok: Nine to Thrive
• Email: aaditi@bluesteinventures.com

Aaditi shares where she’s investing in the future of food and health, and invites founders and innovators in the space to reach out, share what they’re building, and explore how AI can unlock the next generation of food and health breakthroughs.

If you’re curious about AI, nutrition, longevity, and the real-world impact of emerging tech on everyday lives, you won’t want to miss this episode.

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