a16z Podcast The State of American AI Policy: From ‘Pause AI’ to ‘Build’
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Aug 15, 2025 
Martin Casado, a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz focused on enterprise infrastructure, and Anjney Midha, who invests in AI and machine learning, discuss the shift in U.S. AI policy. They analyze the move from 'pause AI' to 'win the AI race,' addressing how this discourse was initially captured by doomerism. The conversation highlights the business strategy behind open source AI, critiques recent policy decisions, and emphasizes the importance of aligning innovation with safety in a competitive global landscape.
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Cultural Shift Rebalanced AI Policy
- The policy discourse shifted from 'pause AI' to pro-innovation after silence from technologists allowed fear narratives to dominate.
- Martin Casado and Anjney Midha argue balanced, evidence-based industry voices returned to correct policy direction.
SB 1047 As A Wake-Up Call
- SB 1047 nearly became law and surprised technologists who assumed such extreme regulation wouldn't gain traction.
- Anjney Midha and Martin Casado recall how that episode exposed dangerous policymaker–tech misalignment.
Anti-Open Source Position Backfired
- Many influential figures and even some VCs pushed anti-open-source narratives despite weak empirical grounding.
- That stance backfired as global competitors like China advanced rapidly in model capabilities.
