a16z Podcast Reid Hoffman on AI, Consciousness, and the Future of Humanity
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Oct 20, 2025 
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a tech investor, dives into AI's impact on humanity and the future of work in this conversation. He discusses how AI could revolutionize biology and drug discovery, while also addressing the limits of current AI reasoning. Hoffman debates the evolving role of doctors with AI, explores the future of AI-native companies, and reflects on LinkedIn's resilience. He also delves into the nature of friendship in an age of AI, urging caution against mistaking AI companions for genuine relationships.
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Silicon Valley Blind Spots Are Opportunity
- Silicon Valley tends to over-index on software-first solutions and misses big opportunities outside its blind spots.
- Targeting those blind spots creates long runways for new iconic companies beyond obvious productivity plays.
Combine Prediction With Experimental Validation
- Use AI to accelerate domain sciences by combining prediction with real-world validation rather than pure simulation.
- Aim for models that find a small fraction of correct leads and validate the rest experimentally to scale discovery.
Debating AI Replacing Doctors
- Reid prepped for a debate on whether AIs will replace doctors and tested multiple top LLMs to prepare his arguments.
- He found their outputs were consensus summaries and rated them roughly B or B-, exposing limits in current reasoning.
