The Delphi Podcast by The Delphi Podcast

July 21, 2025 José Macedo and Pondering Durian: The Birth of Delphi Intelligence

Join Tommy Shaughnessy as he hosts Pondering Durian (Lead at Delphi Intelligence) and José Macedo (Co-Founder at Delphi Labs & Founding Partner at Delphi Ventures) to introduce Delphi Intelligence — Delphi’s new open research initiative focused on artificial intelligence. Learn why Delphi is going deep into frontier models, robotics, reinforcement learning, and the intersection of crypto and AI, and how this initiative aims to uncover transformative opportunities across emerging tech.

Delphi Intelligence: https://www.delphiintelligence.io/

🎯 Key Highlights

▸ Why Delphi pivoted to AI after years in crypto research and investing.

▸ Inside Delphi Intelligence: free, high-quality research on AI, RL, robotics, and more.

▸ How the team blends deep research with deal sourcing — like early crypto days.

▸ The three phases of AI scale: pretraining, inference, and the RL renaissance.

▸ José and PD on decentralizing RL and building “The World’s RL Gym.”

▸ The case for open AI: modular design, public reasoning, and collaboration.

▸ How LLMs are learning to “think longer” — and what it means for training.

▸ Open-source vs. proprietary AI — and China’s growing lead in open models.

▸ Why José believes AGI may already be here with GPT-4o.

▸ Where early AI startups can still win — from robotics to edge hardware.

▸ Why this AI moment feels like crypto in 2017 — and why it’s still early.

▸ The team’s views on AI safety vs. acceleration, including visits to Anthropic.

▸ A geopolitical view: US vs. China in AI, talent flows, and capital differences.

▸ What the next “Mag 7” of AI could be — and why Big Tech might not lead.

▸ How Delphi plans to find early winners in AI, like they did in crypto.

💡 Subscribe for more crypto & AI insights! 🔔

🧠 Follow the Alpha

▸ Delphi Intelligence's Twitter: @delphi_intel

▸ PD's Twitter: @PonderingDurian

▸ José's Twitter: @ZeMariaMacedo

🔗 Connect with Delphi

🌐 Portal: https://delphidigital.io/

🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/delphi_digital

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delphi-digital/

🎧 Listen on

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62PR1RigLG2YN5Pelq6UY9?si=18ac7ccf36ab4753&nd=1&dlsi=50105fd66e6c4124

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-delphi-podcast/id1438148082

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Delphi Intelligence

01:30 - Why AI Feels Like Crypto in 2017

03:30 - The AI Research Gap Delphi Aims to Fill

06:30 - Robotics Deep Dive: Humanoids vs. Specialization

10:00 - AI’s Impact on Traditional Tech Moats

14:30 - Can the Mag 7 Be Disrupted by AI Labs?

17:00 - Google, Meta, OpenAI, and the Race for Interface

21:00 - Crypto as a Hedge Against AI-Driven Inequality

24:00 - Safety vs. Acceleration: Anthropic vs. OpenAI

28:00 - China’s Open-Source AI Strategy

31:30 - Zero-to-One vs. One-to-X Innovation Models

35:00 - Open-Source Models: Strategic or Suicidal?

38:00 - Early-Stage Edge: Where Startups Can Win

42:00 - Verticalized AI Apps, Context Engineering, and GPTs

46:00 - US vs. China in Robotics: Software vs. Hardware

50:00 - The Role of Simulation, Sensors, and Real-World Feedback

53:00 - Delphi’s Dual Approach: Deep Research + Early Deal Flow

55:00 - The Vision for Delphi Intelligence 10 Years Out

Disclaimer

This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host and members at Delphi Ventures may personally own tokens or art that are mentioned on the podcast. Our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle, and/or the end of the episode. These sponsorships are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to use any product, service or token.

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