a16z Podcast
Betsey Stevenson is a labor economist at the University of Michigan, and she was an economic adviser to President Obama. Betsey’s problem is this: How can we create a world where the benefits of AI are broadly shared?
Betsey draws on history – including how the invention of household appliances created a crisis of meaning for American women – to understand how we should respond to the challenge of AI. And she suggests policies to help spread the wealth AI could bring.
In this episode, Betsey explains:
- How Engels’ Pause serves as a warning for workers
- How 20th century women adapted to automation
- How AI has changed life for college students
- The argument for taxing AI firms and distributing the proceeds to the public
Connect with us:
- Follow Jacob Goldstein on LinkedIn, X and Instagram
- Email us at problem@pushkin.fm
- Follow Pushkin on Instagram, LinkedIn or X
- Listen to Jacob’s other show, Business History
- To listen to the show early and ad free, sign up for Pushkin+
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
-
Building Blackstone, Backing Costco, with Tony James
David Haber speaks with Tony James about building enduring firms across multiple eras of finance. From joining DLJ when it was a subscale firm to helping grow Blackstone into one of the largest asset managers…
-
Sarah Rogers: Free Speech, AI Diplomacy, and What America Owes Its Allies
Katherine Boyle speaks with Sarah Rogers, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, about the intersection of AI, free speech, and global information systems. They discuss how major technological shifts, from the printing press to the internet…
-
Balaji and Taylor Lorenz on AI and Media
Theo Jaffee speaks with Balaji Srinivasan and Taylor Lorenz about how AI is reshaping media, trust, and online communication. Building on prior public disagreements between the two, the conversation revisits core tensions around media, technology,…
-
Workday’s Last Workday? AI and the Future of Enterprise Software
Elena Burger speaks with Joe Schmidt, partner on the enterprise team at a16z, about the future of enterprise software in the age of AI. Using Workday as a case study, they discuss why many of…
-
The Shift in Global Drug Development
Theo Jaffee and Gabriel Dickinson speak with Cremieux about China’s rapid rise to the top of global clinical trial output. They discuss the regulatory reforms that accelerated China’s progress, the surge in novel drug development,…
-
John and Patrick Collison on Stripe’s Growth, Agent Commerce, and the Future of Software
This interview with Stripe cofounders John and Patrick Collison originally aired on TBPN. They discuss Stripe’s 34% growth and new employee tender offer, how agent commerce and stablecoins may require high-throughput blockchains built for millions…
-
Ben Horowitz on Venture Capital and AI
Anjney Midha, founder of AMP PBC, speaks with Ben Horowitz, cofounder of a16z, about how venture capital changed from a small, relationship-driven business into a scalable system for backing new technology companies. They discuss network…
-
AI Inside the Enterprise
Steven Sinofsky, board partner at a16z, Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, and Martin Casado, general partner at a16z, discuss the reality of AI inside enterprises. They cover the gap between Silicon Valley and the rest…
-
Martin Shkreli on AI, Pharma, and What Actually Matters
Erik Torenberg speaks with Martin Shkreli, American investor and businessman, about how he sees the AI landscape, from OpenAI to Anthropic, and what actually matters beyond the hype. They also talk through the future of…
-
Balaji Srinivasan: Prove Correct, Not Just Go Direct
Erik Torenberg and Theo Jaffee speak with Balaji Srinivasan, angel investor, entrepreneur, and author of The Network State, about how AI is transforming media, eroding trust, and reshaping how information is created and verified. They…