August 13, 2025

OpenAI Prepares ChatGPT for Ad Driven Era, The AI Paradigm Shift | Keith Rabois, Alfred Lin, Keith Sakata, M.D., Talia Goldberg, Dave Girouard, Kylan Gibbs, Sam Jones, Zach Pogrob

3 hours 32 minutes

(01:19) - Timeline in Turmoil

(09:43) - OpenAI Prepares ChatGPT for Ad Driven Era

(32:49) - The AI Paradigm Shift

(36:29) - Keith Rabois, an American technology executive and investor, has held significant roles at PayPal, LinkedIn, and Square, and co-founded Opendoor. In the conversation, he discusses the competitive threat OpenAI's ChatGPT poses to Google's search business, emphasizing that consumers are shifting from traditional searches to AI-driven prompts, which could undermine Google's advertising-based revenue model. He also critiques Opendoor's current leadership, advocating for a new CEO to drive innovation and reduce costs through AI integration, aiming to transform the company into a $50 to $100 billion enterprise.

(58:22) - TBPN Metis List Update

(01:25:20) - Alfred Lin, a partner at Sequoia Capital, focuses on early-stage investments across various industries, including consumer marketplaces, fintech, robotics, and healthcare. In the conversation, he discusses Sequoia's commitment to partnering with daring founders from the earliest stages, emphasizing the firm's generalist approach to investing beyond just AI. Lin also highlights the importance of work-life integration, advocating for balancing professional responsibilities with personal priorities to maintain long-term success.

(02:05:34) - Dr. Keith Sakata, a psychiatrist at UCSF, focuses on the intersection of mental health and technology, advising startups on developing products that enhance well-being. He discusses the rapid evolution of AI chatbots, expressing concern over their potential to exacerbate mental health issues by reinforcing users' delusions and contributing to hospitalizations. Dr. Sakata emphasizes the importance of integrating safety measures and human oversight into AI applications to prevent adverse psychological effects.

(02:23:50) - Talia Goldberg, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, has been with the firm for over a decade, focusing on investments in companies like Perplexity, DeepL, and ServiceTitan. She discusses the rapid growth of AI companies, noting that top performers are reaching $100 million in annual recurring revenue in about 1.5 years, compared to six to seven years for previous cloud companies. Goldberg also highlights the evolving role of browsers as dominant interfaces for AI, emphasizing the importance of context in enhancing user experiences.

(02:38:04) - Dave Girouard, co-founder and CEO of Upstart, an AI-driven lending platform, discusses how Upstart leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance consumer lending by connecting borrowers with various financial institutions. He highlights the company's focus on applying AI to improve credit origination and servicing, aiming for a seamless, efficient lending process that benefits both lenders and borrowers. Girouard also addresses the evolving role of AI in financial services, emphasizing the importance of integrating new technologies to maintain a competitive edge in the industry.

(02:49:24) - Kylan Gibbs, CEO and Co-Founder of Inworld AI, has a background in AI research and product development from DeepMind and Bain & Company. He discusses Inworld's mission to enhance consumer AI adoption by creating AI-powered virtual characters for immersive applications, highlighting collaborations with companies like Nvidia, Xbox, Niantic, and Disney. Gibbs emphasizes the potential of AI to transform gaming experiences by enabling dynamic, interactive non-player characters (NPCs) and expanding into broader consumer applications.

(02:57:29) - Sam Jones, co-founder and CEO of Method Security, discusses the critical role of scalable autonomous systems in cybersecurity, emphasizing the development of both offensive and defensive products to enhance security team capabilities. He highlights the use of AI to amplify existing attack techniques, enabling rapid assessment and response to threats across vast digital landscapes. Jones also notes the differing investment approaches between commercial and government sectors in AI-driven security solutions, with the latter allocating significant resources toward offensive cyber operations.

(03:03:49) - Zach Pogrob, an entrepreneur and creator with over 1.3 million Instagram followers, discusses the launch of his new app, Share Aura, designed to help users creatively share their workouts on social media. He explains that the app simplifies the process of posting fitness activities by offering customizable templates and tools, eliminating the need for manual editing. Pogrob emphasizes his strategy of leveraging his substantial social media following and network of fitness influencers to promote the app, aiming to build a strong user base before introducing monetization plans.

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