TWIST News: xAI's massive $6B raise, the startups building our drone future & TWIST500 | E1957

Jason and Alex kick off the show (00:00:00)

• Jason Kelanis and Alex Wilhelm welcome the audience to the show.
• Alex Wilhelm mentions his appearance on This Week in Tech and Leo Laporte's show.
• They introduce the topics for the show: XAI's funding round, robot dogs with guns (related to drones), American dynamism, and North Korean tech talent taking American remote tech jobs.
• XAI, a startup in the AI industry, has raised a significant amount of funding, estimated to be around $6 billion.
• The funding round is referred to as a Series B, which may be stretching the definition of such a round.
• Jason Kelanis wants to discuss robot dogs with guns, which leads to a conversation about drones.
• The segment will explore American dynamism and what is considered good in this context.

TWIST500 | E1957 [N/A]

• North Korean tech talent is taking on American remote tech jobs, which could be a controversial topic.

xAI raised $6B series B (00:02:07)

• xAI, an AI company, has secured a substantial $6 billion in funding, raising questions about its potential influence on the tech industry.
• The high cost of talent and hardware infrastructure in AI development creates a significant entry barrier, leading to the rapid growth of companies like Nvidia due to their investments in these areas.
• Startups are actively adopting AI, demonstrating its practical applications and use cases.
• Key players in the AI landscape include Elon Musk, OpenAI, Meta, AWS, Google, and the Falcon project in the UAE, with the possibility of consolidation down to three dominant large language models.
• The potential reward for these winners could be the establishment of the next trillion-dollar company, attracting non-venture capital investments comparable to growth equity or IPOs.
• Protective measures in the funding round ensure that investors will recover their initial investment before the company reaches a specific valuation.
• Concerns arise regarding the rapid depreciation of AI models, as newer generations quickly make previous investments obsolete, potentially affecting the long-term value of the $6 billion investment.
• The pace of technological advancements is unprecedented, with rapid iterations and improvements occurring in a short time frame.
• The monetization of foundation models like Grock 2 from xAI remains uncertain, as not all companies have determined how to generate revenue from these models.
• The concept of "Visionary Risk Takers TAM" is introduced, representing the potential market size based on the visionary perspectives of individuals like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Steve Jobs.
• It is anticipated that nearly everyone on the planet will eventually have internet access, enabling universal access to AI.

TWIST News: xAI's massive $6B raise, the startups building our drone future & TWIST500 | E1957 (00:00:00)

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The evolution of smartphone adoption over time (00:11:30)

• The primary use of the internet will become communicating and interfacing with an AI agent, with chat interfaces being the majority use case for smartphones, especially in emerging markets.
• AI will be used to solve problems in people's lives, such as fixing appliances or learning new skills, and its total addressable market is essentially everyone on the planet.
• While the overwhelming majority of AI uses will be free, there will be a next set of monetizable applications, with the potential market for basic AI estimated at around $300 billion.
• Smartphone and internet penetration are rapidly rising, making the potential market for globally accessible intelligence on mobile devices vast.
• The $6 billion investment in xAI can be seen as a bet on owning a significant portion of the future AI market, as AI models may eventually be viewed as versions of the same thing, growing and evolving organically.

Global Internet users from 2005-2023 (00:19:08)

• The global internet user penetration rate has reached 5.4 billion in 2023 and is expected to plateau, with the remaining unconnected population primarily consisting of the elderly, infants, and those choosing to live off the grid.
• XAI, a leading AI company, recently raised a massive $6 billion in funding and has been releasing open-source AI tools like Grock.
• Investing in AI is considered a lucrative opportunity due to its potential for significant economic growth and value creation, surpassing traditional sectors like retail, airlines, and even tech giants like Apple and Amazon.
• The speaker suggests a bold investment strategy of allocating a substantial portion of one's net worth (e.g., 80%) into the top five AI players, considering the unprecedented growth potential of the AI industry.
• Startups are playing a significant role in shaping the future of drones.
• Index funds heavily invest in companies like Microsoft and Alphabet, which have stakes in AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI.
• XAI will likely hire more people and invest in its own infrastructure, including hardware and potentially developing its own silicon to reduce dependency on companies like Nvidia.

Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 (00:26:06)

• Vanta automates compliance for SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and more.
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• Vanta saves customers hundreds of hours of work and up to 85% on compliance costs.

The control over silicon and Apple’s move switch from Intel (00:26:57)

• Apple's move to design their own chips (M2, M3) has given them a competitive advantage in terms of battery life and performance.
• Apple's decision to invest $6 billion in AI is a down payment on the company's future and not a conclusion of its fundraising.
• Talent and strategy are the most important factors for AI companies, not funding.
• OpenAI has made some brilliant and some stupid strategic decisions.
• The IRS and other regulators may scrutinize OpenAI's non-profit status and revenue roundtripping with major tech companies.

TWiST500 announcement (00:30:11)

• Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm are launching the TWIST500, a database of notable private companies.
• The TWIST500 aims to provide in-depth analysis and insights into the most promising startups in various industries, helping investors and enthusiasts identify potential winners.
• Unlike traditional news sources, the TWIST500 will offer curated lists of 25 companies per category, including defense tech, construction, and regions like MENA, Japan, and Australia.
• The project seeks to foster discussions and debates among readers, listeners, and subscribers, creating a valuable resource for understanding the startup landscape.

TWIST News: xAI's massive $6B raise, the startups building our drone future & TWIST500 | E1957 (00:00:00)

• DevSquad offers a complete product team with top-tier talent from Latin America.
• The team includes 2-6 full-stack developers, a technical product manager, and specialists in UI/UX design, DevOps, and quality assurance.
• The cost is 75% less than an equivalent team in the USA.
• Collaboration is seamless with monthly payments and no long-term commitments.

Armed robot dogs, drone warfare, and the startups building our drone future (00:39:55)

• China showcased a gun-equipped robotic dog, raising concerns about potential terrorist attacks and blurring the line between handheld and drone-mounted weaponry.
• The ethical implications of unfiltered AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are being debated, with some advocating for controlled access to prevent exposure to inappropriate content.
• Ukraine's use of commercial drones with grenades highlights a return to primitive warfare tactics reminiscent of World War I.
• Defense tech companies are primarily focused on drone warfare and suppression, reflecting the growing importance of drones in modern warfare.
• The use of robots in warfare could reduce human casualties but raises concerns about cheaper warfare against humans and dystopian implications.
• The ethical and moral implications of investing in defense technology are debated, with some arguing for national security and others expressing concerns about potential misuse.
• China's extensive technological surveillance and community-based monitoring systems raise concerns about potential abuse of surveillance technology.
• Tim Cook and Apple are praised for prioritizing privacy and limiting Google's access to user information.
• Venture capitalists often avoid industries like gambling, alcohol, drugs, and porn due to traditional restrictions and lower returns.
• xAI, a startup focused on explainable artificial intelligence, has raised a massive $6 billion in funding, potentially influenced by a sovereign wealth fund with specific religious beliefs.
• Contra line, developing a reversible vasectomy procedure, is an example of a potential investment affected by religious beliefs.

North Korean nationals taking American remote tech jobs (00:55:50)

• North Korean nationals used American identities and VPNs to work for remote tech jobs, generating $6.8 million for the North Korean missile program. Generative AI tools made it easier for them to create believable resumes and pass technical tests.
• Remote work relies on trust, and scammers are exploiting this by using AI-generated resumes and evading interviews. Companies need to be more vigilant in verifying the identities of remote workers to prevent fraud.
• Remote work flexibility requires trust, accountability, and responsibility. Being camera-ready for virtual meetings is important for building culture and maintaining a sense of normalcy.
• Remote work can lead to burnout and family strain, with some individuals opting for a hybrid work model to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Texas' relaxed building regulations allow individuals to construct structures like "bro barns" or "barnominiums" without extensive permits, providing more freedom in home design.
• Alex's newsletter, cautious optimism.news, is available for subscription at $10 per year.
• The TWIST500 event is coming soon, and there will be two news shows and a couple of interviews in the upcoming week.