Ben Horowitz on the Next Technology Era

The a16z Show

a16z

Software Eating The World, Business, Technology, Disruption, Culture, Innovation, Science, Entrepreneurship

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 May 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

David Ulevitch speaks with Ben Horowitz about what it means to lead the technology industry at scale, and the responsibilities that come with it. Following the firm’s largest-ever fundraise, they discuss how venture capital, technology, and national strategy are increasingly intertwined. The conversation covers America’s role in the next technological revolution, from AI to advanced manufacturing, and why maintaining technological leadership is critical not just for economic growth, but for global influence. Horowitz also shares his perspective on working with government, supporting national security innovation, and building systems that give more people the opportunity to contribute. They also discuss how venture capital is evolving, the shift toward larger firms and specialized strategies, and why optimism about technology, and its potential to improve lives, remains essential even amid growing skepticism.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Over 70% of people in China are optimistic about AI and kind of less than 30% in America
0:08.1	we're optimistic about AI.
0:10.1	We have placed the largest bet in American history on the proposition that this country
0:15.7	will win the next century of technology.
0:18.6	We won the Industrial Revolution,
0:23.3	and we did that because we had superior technology,
0:28.1	and here we are on the dawn of a new technological revolution,
0:29.2	the AI revolution.
0:31.5	Every interesting company that gets started is a technology company now.
0:33.8	America does give everybody a chance,
0:36.6	and entrepreneurs can really count on that.
0:38.3	If America loses its technology edge and this dominance,
0:41.3	the entire world will lose as well.
0:44.3	What makes the American system irreplaceable for the world at large?
0:49.3	Everybody's in the same game, but the rules of the game have changed.
0:52.3	And what I mean by that is... What does it mean to lead an industry at a moment of technological change? For decades,
0:59.0	venture capital has been about funding companies. But at a certain scale, it becomes something else,
1:05.0	shaping industries, influencing policy, and helping determine which technologies define the future.
1:13.6	Today, that responsibility is growing.
1:18.0	As AI and other frontier technologies reshape the global landscape,
1:20.4	the question is no longer just what to build,
1:24.4	but how to ensure those systems strengthen the broader society around them.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 1 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from a16z, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of a16z and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.