Marc Andreessen: How Risk Taking, Innovation & Artificial Intelligence Transform Human Experience

In this episode, my guest is Marc Andreessen, the legendary software innovator who co-created the internet browser Mosaic, co-founded Netscape, and is now at Andreessen Horowitz — a venture capital firm that finds and brings to life technologies that transform humanity. We discuss what it takes to be a true innovator, including the personality traits required, the role of environment and the support systems needed to bring revolutionary ideas to fruition. We discuss risk-taking as a necessary but potentially hazardous trait, as well as the role of intrinsic motivation and one’s ability to navigate uncertainty. We also discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and Marc’s stance that soon everyone will use AI as their personalized coach and guide for making decisions about their health, relationships, finances and more — all of which he believes will greatly enhance our quality of life. We also delve into nuclear power, gene editing, public trust, universities, politics, and AI regulation. This episode is for those interested in the innovative mind, psychology, human behavior, technology, culture and politics.

Articles

• A Logical Calculus of the Ideas Immanent in Nervous Activity. Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics (Bulletin of Mathematical Biology)
• Comparing Physician and Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Responses to Patient Questions Posted to a Public Social Media Forum (JAMA Internal Medicine)

Books

• “The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millenium“
• “Whole Earth Discipline: Why Dense Cities, Nuclear Power, Transgenic Crops, Restored Wildlands, and Geoengineering“
• “When Reason Goes on Holiday: Philosophers in Politics“
• “Men, Machines, and Modern Times, 50th Anniversary Edition“

Other Resources

• Paul Graham’s essay on cities
• The Messages of Cities
• Why AI Will Save the World by Marc Andreessen
• Michael Shellenberger
• Shellenberger’s website
• Matt Taibbi
• Taibbi’s website
• University of Austin (UATX)
• Stewart Brand