E31: Where are the Moats in AI? With Nathan Labenz and Erik Torenberg

Published: June 1, 2023, 10 a.m.

Nathan and Erik analyze the moats of the most powerful companies in AI. The paradigm-shifting technology has led to a flourishing open-source community with market share. Yet, the big players have key competitive advantages that can be examined from many different angles.\n\nLINKS:\nNathan\u2019s Twitter thread on AI moats that sparked this discussion: https://twitter.com/labenz/status/1654853321876815872\nRead about the 9 moats at length in our newsletter: https://cognitiverevolution.substack.com/p/the-leaked-google-memo-and-a\nLeaderboard for AI rankings: https://lmsys.org/\n--\nWe're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.\n\nRECOMMENDED PODCAST:\nThe HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses \u2013 and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows \u2013 IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix\u2019s culture deck Patty McCord.\nhttps://link.chtbl.com/hrheretics\n\nTIMESTAMPS:\n(00:00) Episode Preview\n(01:36) Where are the moats in AI?\n(07:31) Open source vs. closed\n(15:24) Recommendation: The AI Breakdown Podcast\n(16:39) Sponsor: Omneky\n(20:46) AI Safety\n(33:00) Which players are going to win? 9 Moats.\n\nTWITTER:\n@CogRev_Podcast\n@labenz (Nathan)\n@eriktorenberg (Erik)\n\nSPONSORS:\nShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of ALL eCommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system \u2013 wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts \u2013 from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/cognitive\n\nThank you Omneky for sponsoring The Cognitive Revolution. Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work, customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real-time advertising data. Mention "Cog Rev" for 10% off.\n\nThis show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture \u2014 all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We\u2019re launching new shows every week, and we\u2019re looking for industry-leading sponsors \u2014 if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.\n\nMusic Credit: MusicLM\n\nMore show notes and reading material released in our Substack: https://cognitiverevolution.substack.com