Technology doesn’t grow in isolation—it evolves in waves. Just as mobile, cloud, and social shaped the internet of the past 20 years, so too could crypto, AI, and new hardware usher in an era of the internet that’s pro-innovation, pro-startup, and pro-creator.

Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner Chris Dixon breaks down his vision for a new internet, from using crypto to decentralize AI infrastructure and kickstart network effects, to why AI will be this era’s native form of media just as film was in the 1930s. He also explores why the internet’s original covenant—where content creators traded free access for search traffic—is breaking today, and how a better internet could introduce entirely new business models for creators.

Right now, we have a choice to make: will the next era of the internet be shaped by a handful of centralized players, or transformed into an open ecosystem where power and control flow to creators across the globe?

Read more, including a full transcript, here: https://a16z.com/ai-crypto-internet-chris-dixon/

[00:00:30] How technology evolves

[00:02:54] How crypto and AI interact

[00:08:39] Breaking the economic pact of the internet

[00:12:57] From mobile, social, and cloud to crypto, AI, and hardware

[00:14:49] Using crypto to bootstrap network effects

[00:16:33] Is AI frosting or sugar?

[00:19:57] Come for the tool, stay for the network

[00:20:39] Skeuomorphic vs. native technologies

[00:26:07] AI as the creative substrate of our era

[00:30:11] Balancing supply and demand in AI

[00:35:03] What decides consumer adoption of AI?

[00:36:05] What is the ideal future state of the internet?

In our conversation series AI Revolution, we ask industry leaders how they’re harnessing the power of generative AI and steering their companies through the next platform shift. Find more content from our AI Revolution series on www.a16z.com/AIRevolution.

Chris Dixon’s book is now available in paperback at readwriteown.com.

Anduril reimagined how startups can build software and hardware for the defense sector. Now, they're using AI to reimagine modern warfare.

Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, Anduril cofounder and CEO Brian Schimpf discusses how AI helps humans make better strategic decisions by sorting through the enormous amount of data collected from modern battlefields. Brian also discusses navigating the US government’s complex procurement processes, using commercial technologies to kickstart their own product development, and the growing opportunities for startups in defense. Throughout, Brian offers a deep dive into the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and the future of defense.

• [00:00:19] Anduril and the rise of defense tech
• [00:03:27] The state of AI in warfare
• [00:06:02] The role of AI in decisionmaking
• [00:09:36] The deterrence value of AI
• [00:11:05] How automated can warfare become?
• [00:14:51] How to sell to the Department of Defense
• [00:18:25] Improving the procurement process
• [00:21:23] The urgency for improving R&D cycles
• [00:25:16] Driving down costs and speeding innovation
• [00:30:26] Project Warp Speed for defense
• [00:31:30] The perception and reality of defense startups

Read more, including a full transcript, here: https://a16z.com/how-ai-is-changing-w...

In our conversation series AI Revolution, we ask industry leaders how they’re harnessing the power of generative AI and steering their companies through the next platform shift. Find more content from our AI Revolution series on www.a16z.com/AIRevolution.

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

How does a company as massive as Mastercard decide where to deploy AI? Instead of centralizing every AI initiative, Mastercard operates under a “hub and spoke” model — balancing centralized AI leadership with decentralized innovation across business units.

In this episode, a16z Partner Marc Andrusko chats with Mastercard’s Chief AI and Data Officer Greg Ulrich about Mastercard’s long history of using AI, the opportunities (and potential risks) associated with integrating generative AI into fraud detection, determining what tech to employ based on use cases, and the best advice he’s ever gotten.

“In the Vault” is a podcast series by the a16z Fintech team, where we sit down with the most influential figures in financial services to explore key trends impacting the industry and the innovations that will shape our future.

Resources:

Find "In The Vault" on a16z.com: https://a16z.com/podcasts/in-the-vault/

Find more about a16z's vision for the future of fintech: https://a16z.com/banking-on-ai/

Find Marc Andrusko on X: https://x.com/mandrusko1

Find Greg Ulrich on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregu/

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

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