
Unsupervised Learning
On Unsupervised Learning we probe the sharpest minds in AI in search for the truth about what’s real today, what will be real in the future and what it all means for businesses and the world. If you’re a builder, researcher or investor navigating the AI world, this podcast will help you deconstruct and understand the most important breakthroughs and see a clearer picture of reality. Follow this show and consider enabling notifications to stay up to date on our latest episodes.
Unsupervised Learning is a podcast by Redpoint Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund that has invested in companies like Snowflake, Stripe, and Mistral.
Cohosted by Redpoint investors Jacob Effron, Patrick Chase, Jordan Segall and Erica Brescia.
Latest episodes

134 snips
Mar 17, 2025 • 1h 9min
Ep 58: Google Researchers Noam Shazeer and Jack Rae on Scaling Test-time Compute, Reactions to Ilya & AGI
Noam Shazeer, co-inventor of the Transformer, and Jack Rae, Research Director at DeepMind, dive into the future of AI. They discuss the groundbreaking capabilities of Gemini 2.0 for reasoning and creativity. The duo explores the complexities of AI evaluation metrics and the evolving role of test-time compute, emphasizing efficiency over traditional methods. They also reflect on the philosophical challenges of AGI, the rise of vision-based models, and AI's transformative impact on healthcare and education, highlighting the balance between innovation and safety.

67 snips
Mar 5, 2025 • 45min
Ep 57: Former CTO of Meta Mike Schroepfer on the Path to Powering the AI Revolution
In this discussion, Mike Schroepfer, former CTO of Meta and founder of Gigascale Capital, dives into the crucial link between AI and energy. He reveals how scaling energy production can democratize AI access and tackle climate issues. Mike reflects on his decade at Meta, highlighting AI's transformative role in tech leadership. He also shares insights on future AI tools, the integration of VR, and the impact of open-source development in accelerating innovation. Get ready for a glimpse into the future of AI and its potential to reshape our world!

43 snips
Feb 26, 2025 • 1h 13min
Ep 56: Distinguished Engineer at Waymo Vincent Vanhoucke Unpacks the Breakthroughs and Bottlenecks of Self-Driving
Vincent Vanhoucke, a Distinguished Engineer at Waymo and former Head of Robotics at DeepMind, dives into the cutting-edge world of autonomous driving. He discusses the integration of large language models in self-driving technology and the challenges of urban deployment. Vanhoucke shares his insights on achieving superhuman driving standards through advanced sensor technologies. He also highlights the evolving role of AI in automation, from reasoning capabilities to innovative applications in industries like non-animal cheese production.

77 snips
Feb 19, 2025 • 44min
Ep 55: Head of Amazon AGI Lab David Luan on DeepSeek’s Significance, What’s Next for Agents & Lessons from OpenAI
David Luan, Head of Amazon's SF AGI Lab and former VP at OpenAI, shares insights from his storied career in AI. He discusses the market implications of DeepSeek, the challenges in building AGI, and the need for more efficient AI models. David highlights the future of AI agents, emphasizing the importance of reliable interactions between humans and machines. He also reflects on team culture in AI development, the evolution of collaborative research, and the traits that distinguish exceptional researchers in this rapidly changing field.

74 snips
Jan 30, 2025 • 57min
Ep 54: Princeton Researcher Arvind Narayanan on the Limitations of Agent Evals, AI’s Societal Impact & Important Lessons from History
Arvind Narayanan, a Princeton professor and co-author of AI Snake Oil, takes a deep dive into the nuanced landscape of AI. He discusses the limitations of AI benchmarks and the relevance of real-world applications. Exploring the future of AI in education, he draws parallels to past tech revolutions, emphasizing the ethical implications and the irreplaceable role of human educators. Narayanan also highlights the importance of regulation and transparency in AI usage, stressing the challenges of ensuring equitable access amidst rapid technological advances.

37 snips
Jan 21, 2025 • 1h 24min
Ep 53: SemiAnalysis Founder Dylan Patel on New AI Regulations, Future of Chinese AI & xAI’s Scrappy Surge to Hyperscale
Dylan Patel, Chief Analyst at SemiAnalysis, shares his expertise on the future of AI regulation and the competitive landscape between the U.S. and China. He discusses how new AI diffusion rules can consolidate power among Big Tech, the challenges for startups, and the potential for monopolistic environments. The conversation highlights the rising costs and technical hurdles of GPU cluster deployments and explores CoreWeave's successful strategies in the GPU market. Patel also delves into the implications of open-source versus closed AI models and the future landscape of enterprise AI.

60 snips
Jan 10, 2025 • 40min
Ep 52: Marc Benioff Responds to Satya and Unpacks the Agentic Era
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, shares his forward-thinking insights on AI and its significant impact on business. He discusses the emergence of digital labor and the vast potential of agentic technology. Marc emphasizes the necessity for CEOs to focus on delivering actionable solutions and the ethical responsibility to retrain employees as AI evolves. He also critiques the balance between AI and human labor and underscores Salesforce's commitment to community investment and philanthropic efforts in this rapidly changing landscape.

202 snips
Dec 18, 2024 • 1h 8min
Ep 51: Former Chief Research Officer of OpenAI Bob McGrew - What Comes Next for AI?
In this engaging discussion, Bob McGrew, the former Chief Research Officer at OpenAI, shares his rich background in AI and product management. He delves into the future of AI, covering the integration of robotics into daily life and the challenges of AI pre-training. McGrew also emphasizes the importance of human oversight in AI systems, the role of game theory in social sciences, and his reflections on transitioning from OpenAI while nurturing future talent. His insights reveal the evolving landscape of AI and its potential impact on our world.

53 snips
Dec 16, 2024 • 56min
Ep 50: Fireworks CEO Lin Qiao on Why There Won’t be a Single Model, Will Hyperscalers Win Inference & AI Use-cases with PMF
Lin Qiao, co-founder and CEO of Fireworks.ai and former PyTorch leader at Meta, shares her insights on the future of AI. She discusses the shift toward compound AI systems and the evolving landscape of inference models. Lin highlights the importance of customization, human involvement in AI processes, and the benefits of running smaller models locally for cost and privacy. She also explores the competitive dynamics between in-house and open-source models, and the need for effective evaluation strategies as AI continues to transform industries.

148 snips
Dec 6, 2024 • 47min
Ep 49: OpenAI Researcher Noam Brown Unpacks the Full Release of o1 and the Path to AGI
Noam Brown, renowned AI researcher at OpenAI and key developer behind the o1 model, discusses groundbreaking advancements in AI. He dives into the unique capabilities of the o1 release, exploring how it surpasses previous models. Brown shares insights on scaling AI, economic realities, and the future of AGI. He highlights the exciting use cases for specialized AI tools and the transformative role of AI in social science research. Listeners will gain a deep understanding of the innovative shifts occurring within the AI landscape.