a16z Podcast Keith Rabois: Israel, OpenAI, Opendoor, and DOGE
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Oct 16, 2025 
Keith Rabois, a venture investor and entrepreneur known for his roles at PayPal and Opendoor, joins Alex Rampell, a fintech expert at a16z. They dive into bold predictions about America's economic future powered by AI, forecasting a GDP boost to 5%. Rabois addresses the rise of sovereign AI, Trump's potential second term, and the transformative power of ChatGPT. They analyze the shifting dynamics of Google, the future of housing transactions, and the secret sauce behind fintech success, including the importance of vertical integration and localized strategies.
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Sovereign AI Is Inevitable But Talent-Limited
- Keith argues sovereign AI efforts will arise because nations won't let a single US company dominate critical AI infrastructure.
- He notes building local models still needs a critical density of top AI researchers, which is scarce globally.
AI-Driven Growth Can Outpace Debt Worries
- Keith predicts U.S. growth will accelerate to ~4% driven by AI and productivity gains.
- He believes higher growth can make debt less relevant and solve fiscal problems without deep cuts.
Question Bureaucratic Necessity And Cut Fat
- Keith recommends questioning the necessity of large parts of the federal government and cutting nonessential roles.
- He argues many departments contain historical artifacts that no longer justify their staffing levels.