NET Society

This week on Net Society, the conversation moves from Bay Area tech culture and a ground level look at San Francisco’s renewed energy into Frontier Tower as a real world example of hacker driven experimentation, DAO run spaces, and the return of the American tinkerer. From there, the group explores network states, regional innovation, and open systems before turning to DeFi, yield, and the Clarity Act, followed by a sober discussion on AI’s impact on labor, robotics, and where optimism starts to blur into real dystopian risk. The episode closes with reflections on identity and intellectual property in the age of AI, celebrity as a scalable asset, and what current TV and media reveal about the cultural moment.Mentioned in the episodeFrontier tower in San Francisco https://frontiertower.io/Minerva University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minerva_UniversityMatthew McConaughey Trademark vs AI https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/matthew-mcconaughey-trademarks-himself-to-fight-ai-misuse-8ffe76a9Creator of Industry on NY https://spectator.com/article/get-me-out-of-new-york/Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Peptides, Tech Culture, and Bay Area Vibes (03:53) - Frontier Tower and the Return of the Tinkerer (16:10) - Network States, Regional Innovation, and Open Systems (32:20) - DeFi, Yield, and the Clarity Act (41:45) - AI, Labor, and the Dystopia Debate (49:00) - Identity, IP, and the Celebrity-as-Asset Era (58:50) - Industry, TV, and Cultural Commentary (01:04:34) - Welcome & Disclaimer

This week on Net Society, Aaron and Chris open with a sense that the world feels eerily like 1989 again, marked by global instability, political volatility, and a constant acceleration of events. That backdrop leads into a discussion on AI solving meaningful math problems and why breakthroughs in math may be the real catalyst for long delayed progress in physics, materials, and applied science. From there, the conversation moves into crypto, touching on quantum risk, network resilience, and why the current moment feels more like quiet consolidation than collapse. The back half goes deep on agent based software, rethinking interfaces, self improving systems, and why the next generation of tools may give individuals more agency while reducing the noise and psychological cost of being online.Mentioned in the episodeThe Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2666.The_Bonfire_of_the_VanitiesNFT Paris Cancelled https://x.com/nft_paris/status/2008162329397961069?s=20GPT-5.2 solving the Erdős problem https://x.com/slow_developer/status/2009553229932331110Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - 1989 Vibes and Global Instability (05:17) - AI Solving Math and Fundamental Breakthroughs (11:39) - Crypto, Quantum Risk, and Network Futures (15:09) - NFT Events, Market Consolidation, and Release Drought (19:33) - Agents, Interfaces, and Rethinking Software Design (39:25) - Self-Improving Software and Human Agency (01:05:18) - Reclaiming the Internet and Mental Health (01:11:35) - Welcome & Disclaimer

It’s the 60th episode of Net Society and the first conversation of 2026, with just Aaron and Chris today. The episode kicks off with the recent surge in AI driven coding and why the “vibe coding” moment feels like a real inflection point as the cost of building software collapses. From there, the conversation moves into builders versus creators, how generalists may be better positioned than specialists, and why white collar work from software to law is likely to face deeper disruption than most expect. The back half widens out to wealth, taxation, trust in institutions, and what happens when legacy political and legal frameworks collide with AI systems, before closing on questions of meaning, identity, and where purpose comes from in a post productivity world.Mentioned in the episodeClaude having its moment https://x.com/claudeaiKarpathy AI Comments https://x.com/karpathy/status/2004607146781278521?s=20Clavicular looksmaxxer interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8qj9RNA938Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - AI Coding Inflection Point (05:00) - Builders vs Creators (12:57) - Meaning, Work, and Generalists (25:33) - Wealth, Taxation, and Trust (36:12) - Influence, Aesthetics, and Power (44:15) - AI, Law, and Governance (01:09:23) - Meaning After Productivity (01:29:22) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The crew explores what a post software world could look like as AI collapses the cost of building and reshapes where real constraints now sit. The conversation moves through the limits of current AI tooling, the growing “abundance” narrative, and why white collar work, especially law, may face deeper disruption than expected. From open source eroding AI moats to 2026 crypto predictions around regulation, token models, and ERC20s, the group examines how value, incentives, and business models are being reworked in real time. The episode closes by zooming out to NFTs, digital art, and the metaverse, questioning which cultural and spatial forms actually survive once software stops being scarce.Mentioned in the episodeHarvey legal AI https://x.com/harveyDerek’s thread on state of crypto https://x.com/derekedws/status/2001699465519042738Mathcastles 4 year anniversary https://x.com/MathcastlesShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Post-Software and Code Abundance (05:51) - AI Tooling Friction and Product Reality (08:44) - Abundance Narratives, Energy, and Regulation (14:53) - AI in Law and White Collar Work (27:15) - Open Source, Moats, and AI Commoditization (31:13) - Crypto 2026 Predictions and Regulatory Clarity (48:37) - NFTs, Digital Art, and the Metaverse Thesis (01:13:33) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The crew explores whether AI is actually in a bubble or simply in a messy but necessary boom phase. The group breaks down recent commentary from market veterans, the rapid collapse in AI costs, and what real signals of excess versus durability look like. From the shifting role of experts and institutions to how AI is reshaping work, organizations, and incentives, the conversation moves into crypto, capital allocation, and why resistance to change is more likely to be sidelined than resolved. The episode then widens out to culture and geopolitics, touching on demographic decline, Gen Z political revolts, media saturation, and the fragmentation of the future into parallel paths. The discussion closes with a sharp take on art, spectacle, and why cultural gatekeepers are struggling to adapt to a more direct, participatory era.Mentioned in the episodeThe age of experts is ending https://x.com/emollick/status/1999189828756263359?s=20Is AI in a bubble? https://www.oaktreecapital.com/insights/memo/is-it-a-bubbleShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Are We in an AI Bubble (04:10) - Tech Booms, Bubbles, and AGI (09:24) - Experts, Institutions, and Adaptation (14:05) - Crypto, Capital, and Market Discipline (21:26) - AI, Work, and Organizational Change (30:54) - Demographics, Culture, and the Future (50:19) - Welcome & Disclaimer (50:38) - Art, Spectacle, and Cultural Gatekeepers

The crew opens with Thanksgiving before diving into prediction markets, why they suddenly matter, and how insider knowledge is already shaping outcomes. They explore the financialization of everything, the social cost of hyper efficient markets, and what happens when AI and robotics reshape labor and demographics. The discussion moves into autonomous cars, insurance, and cultural shifts before closing with Basel, the rise of digital art, and how crypto native creators are pushing the medium forward.Mentioned in the episodePolymarket on 60 minutes https://www.cbsnews.com/video/60minutes-2025-11-30/Kangaroo Bio https://x.com/DraperVC/status/1970880937924935887The Depopulation Trade Article https://blog.unrulycap.com/the-depopulation-trade-an-unruly-thesis/Beeple Dog’s at Art Basel https://x.com/nypost/status/1996365399777017919Jack Butcher - Self Checkout https://x.com/jackbutcher/status/1995895014895837481Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Thanksgiving Catch Up (01:17) - Why Prediction Markets Took Off (08:05) - Insider Info and Market Manipulation (18:01) - Financialization and Cultural Consequences (26:37) - AI, Robotics and the Future of Labor (33:25) - Waymo, Insurance and Autonomous Worlds (35:09) - Basel, Digital Art and Crypto Art’s Role (01:02:22) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The discussion highlights the growing gap between tech winners and the general populace, likening today’s sentiment to the 90s and drawing parallels to the Jacksonian era's wealth disparity. Record-breaking art sales raise questions about the identity of contemporary buyers. The hosts dive into the evolution of AI coding, the challenges within the crypto market, and the cultural shifts in education. Notably, they explore the idea of 'dying in the chair' as a metaphor for work ethic, emphasizing the intertwining of wealth and personal identity.

The Net Society crew digs into a wide range of topics this week, starting with the latest moves around Zcash, privacy expectations, and how crypto incentives shape market behavior. From there, the group unpacks an anthropic AI cybersecurity incident and the broader risks of local models creating real-world chaos. The conversation shifts into geopolitical tension, shadow conflict, and the surprising magic of Marble World before closing with a sharp look at elite networks, institutional trust, and a final discussion on automation, humanism, and TV recommendations.Mentioned in the episodeZcash moment https://x.com/pridesai/status/1988256631948226750Cypherpunk https://x.com/cypherpunktechAnthropic cyber attack https://x.com/AnthropicAI/status/1989033793190277618World Labs - Marble https://marble.worldlabs.ai/Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Opening and Warmup (05:37) - Zcash, Privacy, and Market Games (09:02) - DAOs, Ecosystems, and Crypto Incentives (10:32) - AI, Cybersecurity, and Local Model Chaos (14:32) - Geopolitics, Cyber Warfare, and Marble World (42:45) - Elites, Disclosure, and Institutional Trust (55:04) - Automation, Humanism, and TV Corner (01:01:57) - Welcome & Disclaimer

The Net Society crew returns to unpack the strange evolution of human AI relationships, from “slave bots” to sidekicks, companions, and schizophrenic mirrors of the self. Derek explores Sandbar and the search for the perfect AI form factor, Chris zooms out to spatial intelligence as the real unlock, and Pri probes whether emotional companionship with machines is healthy or inevitable. The group then turns to a16z’s growing media empire, the reality of building through a crypto winter, and the politics of AI power, before closing on the ideological chaos of New York’s new “vibe governance.”Mentioned in the episodeSandbar AI ring https://www.sandbar.com/Falling in love with AI article https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/05/magazine/ai-chatbot-marriage-love-romance-sex.htmlA16z new media https://x.com/liangsays/status/1986502829499162751?s=46&t=3cJ-BS7Y1NeBdjntkS2hZQShow & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - AI Slave Bots and Sentience (02:22) - Sandbar and the Search for the Right Form Factor (08:25) - Spatial Intelligence and the Next Operating System (10:35) - AI Companions and the Human Sidekick (16:22) - A16z and the New Media Power Play (26:14) - Building Through the Crypto Winter (36:38) - OpenAI, Regulation, and the Politics of Power (47:03) - New York, Vibes, and the Death of Governance (01:08:30) - Welcome & Disclaimer

From techno-capitalism to gooning, the crew unpacks the contradictions of a world caught between overproduction and isolation. Aaron, Chris, and Pri trace the threads from Bill Ackman discourse to exo-capitalism, exploring how prediction, automation, and financial nihilism reshape the human condition. It’s Halloween, Bitcoin’s birthday, and the trenches are thinning, but the ideas keep multiplying.Mentioned in the episodeBill Ackman https://x.com/BillAckmanPrediction and postmodernism https://a16z.com/prediction-the-successor-to-postmodernism/Exocapitalism https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240662971-exocapitalismSecondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30200112-secondhand-timeThe Good Squad https://harpers.org/archive/2025/11/the-goon-squad-daniel-kolitz-porn-masturbation-loneliness/Farcaster pivot to tokens https://x.com/tednotlasso/status/1982810870716498396Show & HostsNet Society: https://x.com/net__societyAaron Wright: https://x.com/awrigh01Chris F: https://x.com/ChrisF_0xDerek Edwards: https://x.com/derekedwsPriyanka Desai: https://x.com/pridesaiProduction & MarketingEditor: https://x.com/0xFnklSocial: https://x.com/v_kirra(00:00) - Opening Grievances (04:19) - Bill Ackman & Cultural Fatigue (08:12) - Optimism, Propaganda, and the U.S.–China Lens (11:25) - Gambling, Nihilism, and the Age of Prediction (16:00) - Techno-Capitalism and the Anti-Human Economy (24:06) - Exo-Capitalism, Gooning, and the Future of Labor (42:43) - Crypto Parallels, PvP Markets, and the Trenches’ Decline (58:16) - Market Resets, Token Buybacks, and Halloween Wrap-Up (59:30) - Welcome & Disclaimer