The Death of Search: How Shopping Will Work In The Age of AI

What comes after vibe coding? Maybe vibe researching.OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, Jakub Pachocki, and Chief Research Officer, Mark Chen, join a16z general partners Anjney Midha and Sarah Wang to go deep on GPT-5—how they fused fast replies with long-horizon reasoning, how they measure progress once benchmarks saturate, and why reinforcement learning keeps surprising skeptics.They explore agentic systems (and their stability tradeoffs), coding models that change how software gets made, and the bigger bet: an automated researcher that can generate new ideas with real economic impact. Plus: how they prioritize compute, hire “cave-dweller” talent, protect fundamental research inside a product company, and keep pace without chasing every shiny demo. Timecodes: 0:00  Introduction & Goals of Automated Researcher0:43  The Evolution of Reasoning in AI1:46  Evaluations: From Benchmarks to Real-World Impact5:15  Surprising Capabilities of GPT-56:56  The Research Roadmap: Next 1, 2, 5 Years7:46  Long-Horizon Agency & Model Memory9:44  Reasoning in Open-Ended Domains11:18  The Role and Progress of Reinforcement Learning13:14  Reward Modeling & Best Practices14:21  The New Codex: Real-World Coding16:20  AI vs. Human Coding: The New Default20:07  What Makes a Great Researcher?21:14  Persistence, Conviction, and Problem Selection26:00  Building and Sustaining a Winning Research Culture31:45  Balancing Product and Fundamental Research39:00  The Importance of Compute and Physical Constraints45:50  Maintaining Speed and Learning at Scale47:18  Trust and Collaboration at OpenAI Resources: Find Jakub on X: https://x.com/merettmFind Mark on X: https://x.com/markchen90Find Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwangFind Anjney on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Syys 52min

Should the US put a price on H-1B visas, or would that block the flow of new talent? Are AI coding agents actually making teams way more productive, or is it just hype? And in the AI platform shift, will the big winners be incumbents or new AI-native startups?Erik Torenberg is joined by Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie, a16z board partner Steven Sinofsky, and a16z general partner Martin Casado to debate the biggest questions in tech. They unpack pricing vs lottery for H-1Bs and what we’re actually optimizing for, why Box now ships a third of its code from AI, the shift from writing to reviewing code, and why bottom-up personal AI tools succeed where top-down “AI pilots” struggle. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction1:07  Latest immigration policy and who benefits1:39  Debating the Price on H-1B Visas2:11  Startups vs. Big Tech: Who Benefits from Policy?2:31  Market Dynamics and Wage Impacts3:44  The Lottery System and Startup Challenges12:25  Labor Markets to Labor Productivity with AIs14:47  Startups Achieving 10x Productivity with AI16:43  Early Adopters, Hype, and Measuring Productivity33:50  AI’s Impact on Professional and Creative Work37:56  The Rise of AI-Native Startups40:58  Platform Shifts: Startups vs. Incumbents42:12  Disruption, Incumbents, and New Opportunities53:00  The Future of Work and AI Adoption54:38  Brand Effects and Early Leaders in AI55:22  Will Incumbents or Newcomers Win the AI Race?Resources:Find Aaron on X: https://x.com/levieFind Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesiFind Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casadoFind Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Syys 59min

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is one of the country’s top medical experts and a 24-year professor of medicine at Stanford. After being censored and deplatformed during COVID for his role in opposing harsh lockdowns, he was appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health by President Trump in 2025.a16z General Partners Erik Torenberg, Vineeta Agarwala, and Jorge Conde join Dr. Bhattacharya to discuss the administration’s role in tackling the autism crisis, how to restore public trust in health authorities, how to make the NIH more dynamic and efficient, and how to streamline publishing and restore academic freedom.Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction1:30 Autism Initiative & New Research2:45 Drug Discoveries: Leucovorin & Tylenol Caution4:35 Preterm Birth & Broader Health Initiatives5:45 The Replication Crisis in Science8:50 Reforming NIH Funding & Scientific Culture14:00 Allocation vs. Execution at NIH17:30 Political & Scientific Decision-Making22:30 Addressing Life Expectancy & Chronic Disease27:00 Supporting Early Career Investigators34:50 Academic Freedom & Open Science37:30 Rebuilding Public Trust in Public Health41:00 Communicating Science Amid Uncertainty47:50 NIH Priorities: Nutrition, Chronic Disease, AI50:00 The Future of AI in Science & Medicine53:30 Advice for Rising Scientists55:00 The Role and Limits of AI in Science Resources:Find Dr. Bhattacharya on X: https://x.com/DrJBhattacharya and https://x.com/NIHDirector_JayFind Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenbergFind Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBioFind Vineeta on X: https://x.com/vintweetaLearn more about the NIH: https://www.nih.gov/ Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

23 Syys 58min

Nvidia’s $5 billion investment in Intel is one of the biggest surprises in semiconductors in years. Two longtime rivals are now teaming up, and the ripple effects could reshape AI, cloud, and the global chip race.To make sense of it all, Erik Torenberg is joined by Dylan Patel, chief analyst at SemiAnalysis, joins Sarah Wang, general partner at a16z, and Guido Appenzeller, a16z partner and former CTO of Intel’s Data Center and AI business unit. Together, they dig into what the deal means for Nvidia, Intel, AMD, ARM, and Huawei; the state of US-China tech bans; Nvidia’s moat and Jensen Huang’s leadership; and the future of GPUs, mega data centers, and AI infrastructure. Resources: Find Dylan on X: https://x.com/dylan522pFind Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwangFind Guido on X: https://x.com/appenzLearn more about SemiAnalysis: https://semianalysis.com/dylan-patel/ Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

22 Syys 1h 40min

In this episode of Honestly with Bari Weiss, we share a special conversation featuring a16z general partner Katherine Boyle in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shocking assassination.Katherine reflects on what courage means in a culture where words and debate are increasingly met with violence. Drawing on faith, history, and her own response to recent tragedies, she discusses the idea of martyrdom, not only in its most extreme sense, but also in the small, everyday choices to speak the truth despite risk. Timecodes: 0:00  Introduction 0:49  Remembering Charlie Kirk2:46  The Meaning of Martyrdom4:49  Courage and the Choice We Face9:16  Returning to Normalcy10:35  The Age of Extremes12:15 Words, Violence, and the Next Generation14:10  Reclaiming the Center18:18  The Power and Danger of Rhetoric21:55  The Call to Speak Up Resources: Listen to more from Honestly: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/honestly-with-bari-weiss/id1570872415Find Bari on X: https://x.com/bariweissFind Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Syys 23min

OpenAI’s Codex has already shipped hundreds of thousands of pull requests in its first month. But what is it really, and how will coding agents change the future of software?In this episode, General Partner Anjney Midha goes behind the scenes with one of Codex’s product leads- Alexander Embiricos - to unpack its origin story, why its PR success rate is so high, the safety challenges of autonomous agents, and what this all means for developers, students, and the future of coding. Timecodes:0:00 Intro: The Vision for AI Agents1:25 Codex’s Origin and Naming3:20 Early Prototypes and Agent Form Factors6:00 Cloud Agents: Safety and Security9:40 Prompt Injection and Attack Vectors12:00 PR Merging: Metrics and Transparency17:00 The Future of Code Review and Automation20:00 User Adoption: Internal vs. External Surprises22:00 Multi-Turn Interactions and Product Learnings29:30 Best-of-N, Slot Machine Analogy, and Creativity33:00 Human Taste, Iteration, and Collaboration40:00 AI’s Impact on Software Engineering Careers45:00 Education, CS Degrees, and AI Integration49:00 Prototyping, Hackathons, and Speed to Magic55:00 Legacy Code, Modernization, and Global Adoption1:00:00 Enterprise, Security, and Air-Gapped Environments1:05:00 Product Roadmap and Future of Codex1:10:00 Advice for Founders and Startups1:15:00 Education Reform and Project-Based Learning1:20:00 Hiring, Building, and New Grad Advice Resources: Find Alex on X: https://x.com/embiricoFind Anjney on X: https://twitter.com/AnjneyMidha Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

16 Syys 1h 20min

Can we make science as fast as software? In this episode, Erik Torenberg talks with Patrick Hsu (cofounder of Arc Institute) and a16z general partner Jorge Conde about Arc’s “virtual cells” moonshot, which uses foundation models to simulate biology and guide experiments. They discuss why research is slow, what an AlphaFold-style moment for cell biology could look like, and how AI might improve drug discovery. The conversation also covers hype versus substance in AI for biology, clinical bottlenecks, capital intensity, and how breakthroughs like GLP-1s show the path from science to major business and health impact. Resources:Find Patrick on X: https://x.com/pdhsuFind Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

15 Syys 56min