Sharp Tech with Ben Thompson (Preview) The Futures for Cursor and Perplexity, Multi Modality Dreams and Apple Possibilities, Normies Contemplate an AI Future
Jun 17, 2025
Ben and Andrew delve into the future of AI tools, focusing on Cursor's evolution as a programming aid. They discuss the competitive landscape of startups like Perplexity and the challenges they face. Conversations about Apple's potential partnership with OpenAI reveal strategic advantages. The hosts also explore the implications of AI's growth on various sectors and examine a fascinating dialogue between Bill Simmons and Chuck Klosterman about the future of technology. The discussion is engaging, insightful, and raises many thought-provoking questions.
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Cursor’s Competitive Advantage
- Cursor is building on its own proprietary models and unique data from programmers to improve code generation.
- Its data feedback loop and aggregator approach create competitive advantages over pure API wrappers like Perplexity.
Feedback Loop Empowers Cursor IDE
- Cursor's IDE leverages AI autocomplete and uses user interaction data to train its own models.
- This results in a feedback loop enhancing the coding experience beyond basic autocomplete.
Human Expertise Vital in AI Coding
- Effective AI coding requires practitioners who understand app logic deeply, not just superficial code generation.
- This human expertise combined with AI use is key to building toward more agentic AI in the long term.