E45: Sequoia Capital's Roelof Botha and Jacob Helberg on AI and National Security

In this episode, Erik Torenberg sits down with Sequoia Capital Managing Partner Roelof Botha and Jacob Helberg, author, Palantir advisor, and founder of the Hill and Valley Conference. They delve into the challenges and opportunities around AI against the backdrop of US-China tensions, the role the government has in fostering tech innovation, and the debate between open and closed source models.

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LINKS:

The Hill and Valley Forum: https://www.thehillandvalleyforum.com/

Subscribe to The Hill & Valley Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hill-valley/id1692653857

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39s4MCyt1pOTQ8FjOAS4mi

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(01:06) Silicon Valley-Washington Relations

(07:33) Sequoia's Investment in Defense and Frontier Tech

(10:05) The TikTok Debate and US-China Relations

(12:58) Sequoia's Separation from the China and India Entities

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(17:43) Technological Decoupling

(21:41) Tech Executives and Policymakers Working Together

(27:22) AI Supply Chain

(34:38) AI Regulation

(40:32) Open vs Closed Source Debate

(49:44) Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook on the Silicon Valley-Washington Relations

(53:42) Wrap