On with Kara Swisher Can Smaller Startups Compete in the AI Race?
182 snips
May 26, 2025 
In a lively discussion, Gary Rivlin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of 'AI Valley,' joins Christy Wyskiel, senior advisor at Johns Hopkins University, to explore the competitive AI landscape. They examine how smaller startups can thrive amidst tech giants, the impact of government funding cuts on innovation, and the implications of recent massive investments, including the $40 billion that went to OpenAI. The conversation also highlights AI's transformative potential in healthcare, especially in diagnostics.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
OpenAI Dominates AI Funding
- OpenAI raised $40 billion in Q1 2025, monopolizing much of AI venture funding.
- The AI space is consolidating, making it hard for smaller startups to compete with giants like Microsoft and Google.
Big Tech Leads AI Innovation
- The next transformative AI companies are likely to be existing giants like Google and Meta.
- AI research and development costs are so high that few startups can compete at foundational tech levels.
Universities as Innovation Engines
- Universities contribute foundational technology that fuels many tech sectors.
- Basic research, often funded by government, underpins long-term innovation including AI progress.
