The Newcomer Podcast

Explore the thrilling world of venture capital with a $76 million funding round for AI-driven call centers. Dive into the drama surrounding PearAI and the internal power plays at OpenAI. Uncover the implications of California's latest AI regulatory battles. The conversation turns to the intriguing relationship between drug culture and tech innovation in Silicon Valley, highlighting the historical context and its influence on creativity. Join the hosts as they dissect the rapid evolution of the tech landscape and the challenges of power concentration.

Delve into the fascinating world of AI robotics as a major fundraising event promises $230 million for advanced technology. Explore the dramatic fall of rapid delivery startups like Flink, once valued at $5 billion. Discover the evolving culture at Y Combinator and its impact on startup quality. Unpack the environmental challenges of powering AI, weighing nuclear energy against fossil fuels. Finally, see how AI is transforming entertainment with partnerships like Runway and Lionsgate, alongside a humorous nod to John Mulaney's roast at a tech event.

Mercury CEO discusses how software can revolutionize banking, emphasizing user-friendly solutions. Lead Bank CEO shares insights on owning a bank vs a tech company, highlighting the complexity of compliance. The podcast delves into the evolving dynamics between fintech firms and traditional banks amidst regulatory scrutiny, emphasizing the importance of strategic acquisitions and navigating the fintech landscape.

Discussion on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank likened to US withdrawal from Afghanistan, followed by insights from SVB President post-acquisition. Exploring the aftermath of a financial crisis, efforts to prevent regional banking contagion, and rebuilding trust after acquisition. Insights on SPV's client relationships amidst challenges and personal journey of navigating bank operations during turbulent times. Exploration of SVB's lending strategy, insights on banking regulation, and the synergy between private wealth management and fintech companies.

Reid Hoffman and Vinod Khosla discuss AI governance, OpenAI-Microsoft partnership, AI investment priorities, and the risks of OpenAI. They explore immigration, China, and TikTok debates, as well as the importance of political contributions and AI regulation.

Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi and MosaicML Founder Naveen Rao discuss the $1.3 billion acquisition of MosaicML. They explore the importance of considering economics, the risks of highly intelligent AI models, trade-offs in AI company budgeting and IPOs, and insights on successful deal making.

The podcast hosts have a draft to amass five artificial intelligence startups with the biggest valuation in five years. They discuss the selection criteria and their picks, including AI 21 labs and Repplet. They explore the potential impact of AI on software engineering and choose Mistral AI as their final pick.

Chris Miller, author of Chip War, discusses the rise of Nvidia and their role in generative AI. The episode also explores how big tech companies are trying to fend off AI startups. They discuss the importance of developer relations, Facebook's role in democratizing AI, concerns about open source models, attitudes towards open source, and the significance of chips in AI and the concentration of chip production.

AI in daily life and its application in autonomous vehicles. Integrated development, chat GPT and its usage in parenting assistance. The journey of starting Do Not Pay and AI fighting for consumer rights. Exploring AI intelligence, legal compliance, and helping consumers. AI capabilities and limitations, concerns of creators and writers, and the potential of multimodal AI with GPT-4v.

Amy Wu and Keith Kawahata, experts in AI gaming investments, discuss how artificial intelligence could reshape the media we consume, focusing on gaming. They explore topics such as advancements in voice synthesis technology, licensed image generation tools, the commoditization of foundation models, the decline of the movie business, the intersection of AI and gaming, advancements in AI NPCs in video games, and the applications of AI language models.