Why Physical AI Is the Next Frontier | Applied Intuition

Travis Kalanick, Ben Horowitz, and Erik Torenberg reunite to reflect on Uber's early days, the investment that almost happened, and why Kalanick believes the next great technology opportunity lies beyond software. They discuss the lessons of building Uber, the value of founder-led companies, and why Kalanick spent nearly eight years quietly building Atoms before stepping back into the spotlight. The conversation explores industrial AI, robotics, autonomy, mining, food production, and Kalanick's vision for digitizing the physical world, where software, manufacturing, real estate, and transportation come together to transform entire industries. Resources: Follow Travis Kalanick on X: https://x.com/travisk Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Stay Updated: Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content

In this episode, Diane Watkins, Vice President of New Initiatives & Outreach of the IEEE Power and Energy Society, joins us to unpack how AI-driven data centers are straining power grids, and what it will take to keep the lights on. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to IE+ for premium insights and exclusive content!

As governments weigh new restrictions on frontier AI models, one question is becoming increasingly important: what role should open source play in the future of artificial intelligence? Theo Jaffee and Sofia Puccini speak with Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue about AI regulation, open source safety, model routing, and why he believes competition—not consolidation—is essential for the industry's future. They discuss GPT-5, government oversight of frontier models, Hugging Face surpassing $100 million in annual recurring revenue, local AI, China's open-source ecosystem, Europe's AI ambitions, and why routing workloads across specialized models could fundamentally reshape where value is created in AI. Resources: Follow Clément Delangue on X: https://x.com/ClementDelangue Follow Theo Jaffee on X: https://x.com/theojaffee Follow Sofia Puccini on X: https://x.com/schisofrenia Follow MTS on X: https://x.com/mtslive Stay Updated: Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube Find a16z on X Find a16z on Linked

This week, feuding between some of the biggest tech companies spilled into public view. We discuss Apple’s accusation that OpenAI tried to steal secrets about Apple’s hardware business, as well as share our reactions about OpenAI’s new model, Sol, and Anthropic’s decision to extend access to its model Fable. Then, we unpack the loudest warning yet about A.I. and jobs. We talk with Erik Brynjolfsson, a Stanford economist, about a statement he helped organize that implores economists and A.I. researchers to “act now” to steer A.I. in a direction that complements humans. And finally, we play a round of HatGPT. Guest: Erik Brynjolfsson, senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered A.I., and director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Additional Reading: Apple Sues OpenAI, Accusing It of Stealing Company Secrets OpenAI’s First Device Will Be Movable, Screenless Speaker Built as A.I. Companion Nearly 200 Economists and Tech Leaders Warn of A.I. Threats The loudest warning abo