GPT Psychosis is spreading, the NYT is Super-Doxxing Zuck, and Trump is wetting his beak on Chinese chip exports | E2163
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 12 August 2025
⏱️ 76 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today’s show:
On an all-new Monday TWiST, Lon joins Jason and Alex to talk about a whole bunch of stories at the intersection of tech, business, and pop culture.
First up, is GPT Psychosis real? And if so, what are the warning signs that your loved ones have been ONESHOTTED.
Then, why did Jason get so upset at the NY Times piece about Mark Zuckerberg’s Palo Alto compound?
PLUS we’re discussing Trump’s export fees on AMD and Nvidia, Jason’s pitch for why the president should work more closely with Congress, a new tool in the search for rare-earth minerals, just how many self-driving trucks are on Chinese roads today, and much much more!
Timestamps:
(0:00) INTRO, Why Jason hated the NYT story about Mark Zuckerberg’s compound.
(09:54) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(11:14) Show continues…
(19:54) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist
(21:01) Show continues…
(27:25) GPT Psychosis: Is it real and how widespread is it?
(29:13) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(30:16) Show continues…
(45:45) What it means to get “One-Shotted”: is Sam Altman doing this on purpose?
(53:56) Jason says working multiple jobs at once is STEALING… is that fair?
(01:04:53) Are Trump’s Chinese export fees for AMD and Nvidia a justified licensing process? Or a shakedown?
(01:09:22) Jason’s pitch for working closer with Congress, and why Alex has concerns about clarity
(01:12:02) PolyMarket: Will tariffs generate >$250b in 2025?
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Thank you to our partners:
(09:54) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(19:54) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist
(29:13) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I think literally Sam Altman has set up chat GPT5 or chat GPT to groom people. |
| 0:07.0 | And I think this is inherent in how they're architecting it, which is to, I mean, I hate to ascribe and mind read. |
| 0:14.0 | I think he is specifically designing this to create AI psychosis and addiction. |
| 0:21.7 | This week in startups is brought to you by Vouched. |
| 0:26.0 | Turn your AI infrastructure into production grade software with Know Your Agent from Vouched. |
| 0:31.8 | Check it out yourself at Vouchd. ID slash Twist. |
| 0:36.1 | Trust for agents that's built for builders like you coda |
| 0:39.9 | koda empowers your startup by bringing words tables and teams together strategize plan and |
| 0:46.5 | track goals effectively with all your valuable data in one place go to coda.io slash twist |
| 0:53.7 | to get started for free and get six free months of the team plan. And Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC2 report fast. Get $1,000 off for a limited time at Vanta.com slash twist. |
| 1:15.7 | Hey, everybody, welcome back to this week in startups. |
| 1:17.7 | It is Monday. |
| 1:18.4 | It's August 11. |
| 1:19.3 | It is 2025. |
| 1:21.6 | Hey, we're wrapping up the summer, which means the fall is coming back to school for many |
| 1:25.4 | of you. |
| 1:26.3 | But most importantly, then ski season's |
| 1:28.1 | going to start. So I am counting the days with me again today, Lon Harris and Alex Wilhelm. |
| 1:33.7 | Welcome back, gentlemen. I hope you had a great weekend. And let's get right to the docket. |
| 1:38.9 | I want to start with some of the culture stuff. Sure. What are the two or three culture kind of entertainment, media, |
| 1:49.2 | buzzwords going around the interwebs this past couple of days? On Sunday, the New York Times |
| 1:54.1 | are in a piece about Mark Zuckerberg's. Well, they're calling it a compound in Palo Alto, |
... |
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