a16z Show Ben Horowitz: Why Open Source AI Will Determine America's Future
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Nov 27, 2025 
Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz and a seasoned entrepreneur, discusses the AI cultural battle, noting that the U.S. has already lost ground to China's open-source advancements. He emphasizes how open-source AI will shape interpretations of values globally while revealing the implications of secrecy in national security. Horowitz also delves into the economic impacts of AI on jobs, the importance of careful regulation, and how cultural values encoded in AI can influence societal narratives.
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AI Is In The Early Phase
- We're very early in the AI technology cycle, with major breakthroughs only a few years old.
- Future large discontinuities are possible but uncertain, so expect long-term evolution over decades.
Model Weights Encode Culture
- Open-source model weights encode cultural values and shape global interpretations.
- Whoever dominates open-source weights influences how billions of devices interpret history and speech.
Compete By Being Open
- Embrace openness rather than secrecy to compete in AI; leverage broad contribution.
- Rely on the U.S. strength as an open society instead of trying to lock technology behind walls.
