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Noah Smith joins Erik Torenberg at the 2026 American Dynamism Summit in Washington, D.C. to discuss Anthropic's relationship with Washington, bioterrorism risks stemming from AI, why Noah isn't worried about AI causing job loss, and more.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Anthropic, DOD, & Government Control of AI
04:28 - Sponsor: NetSuite
09:44 - Advice for Dario & Anthropic
12:13 - Partisan Politics vs. Existential Risk
16:06 - Mass Surveillance & AI
17:30 - The Biosecurity Threat
24:21 - Will AI Take Our Jobs?
28:41 - Outro
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Sponsor: NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
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FOLLOW on X:
https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
https://twitter.com/Noahpinion
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see https://a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah and Erik are joined by Flock Safety CEO to cover America's crime crisis and how to solve it with technology. They explore international comparisons, why America's crime problem is unique, how cameras can deter crime, tradeoffs in crime reduction, and more.
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Sponsors:
Notion
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NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Found
Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com
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Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102
- Discussion opened with comparisons between AI's impact on various professions, particularly radiology
- America's murder rate is approximately 5x higher than Europe and 10x higher than Asia, making it a significantly more violent country
- Crime has become increasingly sophisticated over the past decade, shifting from impulsive juvenile offenses to organized, profit-driven enterprises
- Foreign criminal organizations operate with different specialties: South American gangs focus on narcotics, firearms, and use drones for reconnaissance
- Geographic spread: American cities are too suburban for effective foot patrols, forcing police to drive instead - foot patrols are proven to be more effective deterrents
- Gun availability: While firearms make approximately a 2x difference in murder rates, eliminating all guns (which would be extremely difficult) would only get America halfway to European safety levels
- Americans have restructured their entire lives around crime avoidance, creating costs not captured in crime statistics
- Deterrence through likelihood of capture: Research shows criminals are deterred by the likelihood of getting caught, not by severity of punishment
- Garrett compared criminal behavior to children - they commit crimes because they think they'll get away with it, not because punishment is insufficient
- Cameras create permanent records that make crime detection highly likely, fundamentally changing the risk calculus
- Even with permissive DAs or judges, the existence of video evidence creates accountability
- Japan achieved approximately a 5x reduction in crime through widespread camera deployment
- Cameras effectively ended many categories of street crime, with criminals openly acknowledging they "can't commit crimes, there's cameras everywhere"
- Reduced crime would save cities enormous costs - San Francisco could save approximately $1 billion by reducing crime to Asian standards
- Noah emphasized that "law and order" rhetoric won't work in liberal cities - need a different framing
- The progressive case for surveillance: Enables walkable neighborhoods and vibrant urbanism
- Some American cities don't believe crime is a serious problem, viewing current levels as acceptable
- These cities will likely experience declining populations and tax bases, creating a downward spiral until they recognize the need for action
- Cities that resist camera technology often have underlying trust issues with their local government
- In communities where residents trust their elected officials want them to succeed, camera adoption is widely embraced
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:00 - The State of Crime in America
6:04 - Crime Statistics Debate
10:59 - The Solution: Cameras Everywhere
12:15 - Sponsors: Notion | NetSuite
17:00 - How Deterrence Really Works
19:35 - Japan's Success with Cameras
22:46 - Privacy and Cultural Trade-offs
25:50 - Sponsor: Found
38:35 - Economic Benefits and Policy
44:19 - Closing Thoughts
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see https://a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg cover Europe's economic future, how internet discourse has changed politics, the rise of identitarian populism on both the right and left in America, and more.
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Sponsors:
Notion
AI meeting notes lives right in Notion, everything you capture, whether that's meetings, podcasts, interviews, conversations, live exactly where you plan, build, and get things done. Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners. Try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102.
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Found
Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com
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Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102
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Timestamps:
00:00 — Introduction
00:24 — Europe and Russia
03:02 — China and Electric Cars
04:38 — Israel-Gaza Conflict
06:43 — American Sentiment Toward Israel
09:57 – Sponsors: Notion | Netsuite
12:00 — Online Extremism and Political Disengagement
22:50 — Staffers and Extremism
24:25 – Sponsor: Found
25:29 — New York Politics and Mamdani
31:47 — The Future of Leftist Politics
34:11 — Race and Identity
38:06 — Islam and Immigration
38:44 — Identitarian Populism
41:44 — Closing Thoughts
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FOLLOW on X:
https://x.com/eriktorenberg
https://x.com/Noahpinion
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see https://a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Econ 102 originally aired on the Sphere Podcast, Noah Smith and Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry sit down for a debate on immigration. They cover the philosophical underpinnings of their arguments, where they find common ground, border enforcement, deportation, public opinion, and more.
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Sponsors:
Notion
AI meeting notes lives right in Notion, everything you capture, whether that's meetings, podcasts, interviews, conversations, live exactly where you plan, build, and get things done. Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners. Try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102.
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://www.netsuite.com/102
Found
Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com/
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Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
05:00 – Philosophical Foundations: Borders, Nations, and Policy
09:00 – “No Human is Illegal” & Historical Context
13:25 – Sponsors: Notion | Netsuite
15:30 – Enforcement, Detention, and Public Perception
24:00 – Asylum Law, Legislative Gridlock, and Political Realities
28:10 – Sponsor: Found
41:00 – Mass Deportation: Crime, Economics, and Evidence
56:00 – Trust, Public Sentiment, and Policy Limits
1:10:00 – Final Thoughts & Outro
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Listen to the Sphere Podcast:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/48eWEcxSYDyrgjC3lO0EJZ
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB2gs2TBXeP7vyn9QUaaxjQ
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FOLLOW on X:
Pascal - https://x.com/pegobry_en
Noah - https://x.com/Noahpinion
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see https://a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore AI's effects on productivity, how AI business models will shake out, the US and China's rare earth minerals industries, and China's economic challenges, including demographics, real estate, and involution.
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Sponsors:
Notion
AI meeting notes lives right in Notion, everything you capture, whether that's meetings, podcasts, interviews, conversations, live exactly where you plan, build, and get things done. Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners. Try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102.
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://www.netsuite.com/102
Found
Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com/
-
Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at https://www.notion.com/lp/econ102
-
Timestamps:
00:00 — Intro
00:52 — AI’s impact on productivity
02:27 — Debating whether AI will increase productivity
03:11 — Historical analogy: Electricity’s impact on productivity, lessons for AI
07:55 — Sponsors: Notion | Netsuite
09:57 — Application layer companies, AI in coding, vertical AI applications
12:49 — AI bubble vs. CapEx boom/bust, historical parallels (railroads, telecoms)
16:54 — Brand loyalty, price wars, and profitability in AI models
22:26 — US-China trade, rare earths, and supply chain challenges
32:20 — Sponsor: Found
33:33 — China’s demographic and economic challenges, over-competition, and deflation
54:06 — Recommendations for China’s economic policy, rationalizing the economy
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FOLLOW on X:
https://x.com/eriktorenberg
https://x.com/Noahpinion
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see https://a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg cover the transformation of global manufacturing, the rise of the electric tech stack, the landscape of jobs and economic policy, and the state of today's online discourse.
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SPONSORS: NetSuite More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
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FOLLOW on X:
https://x.com/eriktorenberg
https://x.com/Noahpinion
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Econ 102, Noah Smith and explore how AI is reshaping the economy, jobs, business profitability, industry competition, and financing, while drawing historical parallels and offering insights into its broader societal impact.
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SPONSORS:
Zcash
Zcash offers private, encrypted digital money that protects users from AI-powered surveillance, allowing people to store and spend wealth without compromising their privacy. Try it out. Download Zashi wallet and follow @genzcash to learn more: https://x.com/genzcash
Notion
AI meeting notes lives right in Notion, everything you capture, whether that's meetings, podcasts, interviews, conversations, live exactly where you plan, build, and get things done. Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners. Try one month for free at notion.com/lp/econ102
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Found Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com/
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Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at notion.com/lp/econ102
Quotes:
"We tend to think that the markets are just so much bigger, and so even if there's no traditional moats protecting it from other entrants, that there can be multiple winners in a category.” - Erik Torenberg
LINKS:
Got questions for Noah and Erik to answer on air? Send them to [email protected]
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FOLLOW ON X:
@noahpinion
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia
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In this episode from the a16z Podcast, Dwarkesh Patel, Noah Smith, and Erik Torenberg discuss AGI, exploring how AI might transform labor markets, economic growth, space exploration, and geopolitical dynamics in the coming decades.
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SPONSORS:
Zcash
Zcash offers private, encrypted digital money that protects users from AI-powered surveillance, allowing people to store and spend wealth without compromising their privacy. Try it out. Download Zashi wallet and follow @genzcash to learn more: https://x.com/genzcash
Notion
AI meeting notes lives right in Notion, everything you capture, whether that's meetings, podcasts, interviews, conversations, live exactly where you plan, build, and get things done. Here's an exclusive offer for our listeners. Try one month for free at notion.com/lp/econ102
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Found Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com/
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Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at notion.com/lp/econ102
Quotes:
"If you make the best AI, it gets even better. So why enter that? That's the big question." - Noah Smith
LINKS:
Got questions for Noah and Erik to answer on air? Send them to [email protected]
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FOLLOW ON X:
@noahpinion
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia
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In this episode, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg explore Argentina's economic reforms under President Milei, development models in emerging economies like Vietnam and Malaysia, effective crime reduction strategies, and how AI might reshape our workforce and population dynamics in the coming decades.
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SPONSORS:
Carta
Carta is offering up to 40% off a new Carta plan, including cap table management, QSBS Attestation, and Carta Total Compensation. This limited-time offer runs through the end of July at z.carta.com/econ102.
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Shopify
Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen.
Found Found provides small business owners tools to track expenses, calculate taxes, manage cashflow, send invoices and more. Open a Found account for free at https://found.com/econ102
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Shownotes brought to you by Notion AI Meeting Notes - try one month for free at notion.com/lp/econ102
Quotes:
"If AI really can replace humans, then that will mitigate the economic damage from the losses of population." - Noah Smith
"Murders between people who know each other, between people who are like intimate partner violence has gone way down." - Noah Smith
"We need to basically create technologies that make it easy to take care of kids so that parenthood doesn't mean it's giant change in your life." - Noah Smith
LINKS:
Got questions for Noah and Erik to answer on air? Send them to [email protected]
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FOLLOW ON X:
@noahpinion
@eriktorenberg
@turpentinemedia
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This week, we’re airing a live conversation between Noah Smith and Sam D’Amico, founder and CEO of Impulse Labs, about how China’s Electric Tech Stack and tightly integrated supply chains are fueling its lead in industries from EVs to robotics, while exploring solutions for revitalizing U.S. manufacturing. The conversation also covers regulatory challenges, the value of co-locating engineers and factories, and the role of advanced technologies in shaping global production.
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SPONSORS:
Carta
Carta is offering up to 40% off a new Carta plan, including cap table management, QSBS Attestation, and Carta Total Compensation. This limited-time offer runs through the end of July at z.carta.com/econ102.
NetSuite
More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine learning: https://netsuite.com/102
Shopify
Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen.
AdQuick
The easiest way to book out-of-home ads (like billboards, vehicle wraps, and airport displays) the same way you would order an Uber. Ready to get your brand the attention it deserves? Visit https://adquick.com/ today to start reaching your customers in the real world.
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SEND US YOUR Q's FOR NOAH TO ANSWER ON AIR: [email protected]
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FOLLOW ON X:
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@eriktorenberg
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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:
Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/
https://www.impulselabs.com/
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TAKEAWAYS:
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