E45: Sequoia Capital's Roelof Botha and Jacob Helberg on AI and National Security
In this episode, Erik Torenberg sits down with Sequoia Capital Managing Partner Roelof Botha and Jacob Helberg, author, Palantir advisor, and founder of the Hill and Valley Conference. They delve into the challenges and opportunities around AI against the backdrop of US-China tensions, the role the government has in fostering tech innovation, and the debate between open and closed source models. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Second Opinion - A new podcast for health-tech insiders from Christina Farr of the Second Opinion newsletter. Join Christina Farr, Luba Greenwood, and Ash Zenooz every week as they challenge industry experts with tough questions about the best bets in health-tech. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1759267211 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A8NwQE976s32zdBbZw6bv - RECOMMENDED PODCAST: ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs -- SPONSORS: 🦾Level up your ineffective website chatbot with CommandBar. CommandBar builds a new type of web assistant which delivers highly personalized responses, real time co-browsing, and can perform actions on behalf of the users. Learn how Hashicorp, Gusto, Freshworks and more use CommandBar at https://commandbar.com/moz 💥 Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to choosesquad.com and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. -- LINKS: The Hill and Valley Forum: https://www.thehillandvalleyforum.com/ Subscribe to The Hill & Valley Podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hill-valley/id1692653857 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39s4MCyt1pOTQ8FjOAS4mi -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:06) Silicon Valley-Washington Relations (07:33) Sequoia's Investment in Defense and Frontier Tech (10:05) The TikTok Debate and US-China Relations (12:58) Sequoia's Separation from the China and India Entities (15:03) SPONSORS: CommandBar | Squad (17:43) Technological Decoupling (21:41) Tech Executives and Policymakers Working Together (27:22) AI Supply Chain (34:38) AI Regulation (40:32) Open vs Closed Source Debate (49:44) Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook on the Silicon Valley-Washington Relations (53:42) Wrap