Ben Horowitz: xAI Executive Exodus, Apple's AI Crisis, The Pace of AI | #232

Peter Diamandis (0:00)

A large number of departures from XAI, from the founding team.

Dave Blundin (0:03)

It wasn't clear to me whether they were fired or whether they left, you know, because they all leave on good terms.

Ben Horowitz (0:08)

I don't know the answer to that question. I will say that it's...

Salim Ismail (0:14)

Recursive self-improvement, RSI, is the real trigger for the singularity, and it happened a while ago. We're exiting the industrial age permanently, as we're talking.

Ben Horowitz (0:23)

We're obviously going into a new world. Like with the industrial revolution, I think it's scary at times to think about.

Dr. Alexander Wissner-Gross (0:31)

I think we have 150,000 people per day dying on Earth, and I think AI is probably the best chance we have at stopping that.

Ben Horowitz (0:40)

Whoever is building the AI has a lot of control about how society is going to work. So I do think there's real danger along these lines of attempting to pause it.

Peter Diamandis (0:49)

When are we going to have discovery by an AI of something as significant as relativity on its own?

Dr. Alexander Wissner-Gross (0:56)

I don't think it's the next 12 months. I think it's...

SPEAKER_6 (1:01)

Now that's the Moonshot, ladies and gentlemen.

Peter Diamandis (1:06)

So everybody, welcome to Moonshots. Another episode of WTF here with my Moonshot mates, DB2, AWG, Mr. EXO and a friend of the pod, someone who's been with us before, the amazing Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz. Ben, where are you today?

Ben Horowitz (1:25)

I am in Las Vegas today, actually. It is my wife's 60th birthday weekend super celebration.

Salim Ismail (1:31)

Oh, you get to merge that with Valentine's Day?

Ben Horowitz (1:35)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Good news, bad news.

Dave Blundin (1:42)

Well, last time I was in Vegas, we can cut this from the pod if we need to. But last time I was in Vegas, I told my mom, hey, I'm in Vegas. She's in her mid-80s. And she said, oh, you're in Vegas. Did you shoot your WOD? Is that a phrase? She's like, what do you mean? I mean, did you lose all your money?

Ben Horowitz (2:00)

I'm glad she clarified that.

Dave Blundin (2:01)

Thank you for clarifying, mom.

Ben Horowitz (2:03)

That would have been a very aggressive question from your mom otherwise.

Dave Blundin (2:08)

Yeah, that didn't stand the test of time, that particular phrase.

Peter Diamandis (2:11)

Well, as I like to say every week, welcome to the number one podcast in AI and exponential tech. Our job here is getting you future ready. And it is an insane week. We've actually recorded two podcasts this week, just because the speed is over the top. And we're going to be recording again in another four days. I mean, Ben, it's like, it's my goodness, right? Thank God, my AI avatar is getting really good. Yeah. Let's open up with top stories in Voices, Video, XAI, Multis.

All right, first one. Here we go. We're starting to see a little bit of Doomer conversations coming. AI disruption will soon hit sooner than most expect. This is something that's been making the rounds for Matt Schumer, CEO of OtherSide AI. Ben, have you seen this article?

Ben Horowitz (3:08)

Yeah, yeah, of course.

Peter Diamandis (3:09)

Of course.

Thoughts? So, I mean, is this what we already know? I mean, we're about to hit recursive self-improvement. Once that hits, all of our curves go out the window, everything accelerates. Everything we've been preparing for is being redefined on new time scales. What do you think of it?

Ben Horowitz (3:33)

I think the AI timeline is somewhat unpredictable, but kind of certainly more predictable than what he's talking about, which is societal change. I think that, you know, it tends... I would be like very surprised just in seeing how even companies in Silicon Valley have changed so far if companies like outside of that sphere, you know, just completely change everything they did in one to five years. Like I think that's a little aggressive for societal change.

You know, look, we're obviously going into a new world. And, you know, like with the industrial revolution, I think it's scary at times to think about. But, you know, like there are going to be... He kind of, I feel like, highlighted all the negative changes and not the positive ones. And I feel like there's way more positive change coming than negative change at a much more rapid rate. So, I don't know, like I thought it was a little aggressive.

Peter Diamandis (4:50)

I mean, I'm just trying to understand why it made the rounds since this is not a brand new conversation. But I got it sent to me by everybody. Dave or Alex?