Why You Should Be Optimistic About the Future

Many skeptics thought the internet would never reach mass adoption, but today it’s shaping global culture, is integral to our lives -- and it's just the beginning. In this conversation from our 2019 innovation summit, Kevin Kelly (Founding Executive Editor, WIRED magazine) and Marc Andreessen sit down to discuss the evolution of technology, key trends, and why they're the most optimistic people in the room.
HIGHLIGHTS
Discussion on closing the digital divide [3:00]
The many possibilities of voice technology as an interface [9:59]
Moore’s Law vs. Eroom’s law [14:14]
Looking at 5G Technology as the next global driver [20:38]
New models for VC and company models [27:05]
How long-term thinking can be applied in Silicon Valley [29:53]
Measuring prosperity on a global scale [34:00]
The potential impact of cyber technology on global conflict [38:45]
A foundation for optimism [41:05]
***
The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.
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[@MamtaNarang]

Often, I watch/listen youtube video at 2x speed. As an exception tuned to 0.75 speed to listen to Marc clearly and gained more insight.

[@JRInTroy]

brilliant tip

[@denizbayraktaroglu348]

haha amazing

[@chrisgrant9650]

Great suggestion

[@MamtaNarang]

@@chrisgrant9650 Thank you

[@MamtaNarang]

@@denizbayraktaroglu348 Thank you

[@facundomiranda3391]

I love how smart Marc is...he is always ahead of everyone with his understanding of the environment's dynamics.

[@SandHillRoad]

Marc Andreessen talks always feel like a disk download 💾 curl /usr/bin/marcandreessen can't get enough of his wisdom

[@nbme-answers]

Kevin Kelly + Marc Andreessen?? god bless the internet.

[@JameBlack]

Hello from India! I'm using that 1$ internet!

[@AlexSiman]

@@JameBlack is it good enough to watch stream video?

[@JameBlack]

@@AlexSiman а ты как думаешь?

[@ouss]

Marc is always inspiring 😍

[@rudynathan8852]

I dont feel stupid often, but I do listening to this guy

[@alexbarkell6077]

I'm a genuine fan of A16Z and all of these talks. I share these videos with friends and family quite frequently. Not only are they a completely different (better imo) view of the world than the prevailing feeling where I grew up (idea was, shit's bad and getting worse, not great for growth...) but also because they are just so damn inspiring for doing great work. Excellent work as always, thank you!

[@theodenednew8874]

34:10 why accelerating economic growth is actually the single best strategy for the environment

[@buildar8434]

Oh my. Marc makes you love the world all over again

[@lavisseregis830]

Very interesting, thank you Marc & Kevin! I would have enjoyed Marc’s view about how to deal with climate change

[@AdeelKhan1]

Needed this positivity! Thanks Marc Andreessen!

[@DanielleNewnham]

This is very good - as to be expected with these two

[@saltfarming5747]

inspiring. especially the way he answers the last question. respect

[@Textras]

Christmas came early, two great thinkers.

[@bizzybiscuit]

Excellent minds.

[@Extys]

Andreessen is a genius

[@endeuinable]

I absolutely loved the answer to the last question.

[@neapelflorenz4364]

Great interview 👍 love KZbin. So much knowledge for free.

[@hiringcafe]

Awesome talk!

[@conformist]

Double down on what already works in society. Never thought about this before, but our ancestors have gone through many of the hard problems in the past. They solved it through economic growth, human rights, markets, science and technology. We should keep these systems going and improve them. We need to remember these systems and not forget where they came from and why they exists.

[@jeffskent]

I hope you are right, but we as a species seem to be having trouble simply maintaining human population stability, let alone growth. Japan, China and Europe appear to be declining in population and the rest of the world is not far behind.

[@AdeelKhan1]

38:32 Awesome answer regarding growth!

[@bitcoinyoda8321]

Good questions

[@manipal2011]

Must watch

[@alexbarkell6077]

COMPLETELY agree on his point about biology being at a turning point. The, literal, machines being built today using basic RNA is straight hard-core engineering, and the limits feel boundless.

[@conformist]

Eroom's law, Moore's law spelled backwards. Lol.

[@nat.serrano]

It’s clear to me that Marc became really smart by reading a LOT

[@themagic8310]

Marc is genius.

[@vallas8345]

Nobody is talking about these chairs

[@lunataylor5091]

Cuz we are listening to what they are saying.

[@vallas8345]

​@@lunataylor5091 Where did you pick this profile pic? I know sb who has the same

[@MrJameschance]

can we slow down the video?

[@rapauli]

Thanks for this great video.. this discussion presents pure "techno-fides" - or a religious faith in technology. Prof Naomi Oreskes discusses that in her talks on history of science

[@CalebBrandalise]

Love love love a16z

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

I am very optimistic. And that is why I am a militant antinatalist, animal rights vegan, climate activist, atheist, & pro-technologist, pro-science, pro-math. I believe animal rights vegans WILL win the fight to end the holocaust of factory farming very soon. I believe climate activists WILL win the war against fossil fuel addiction & force governments to massively fund sustainable energy. And, even if we fail to get everybody to stop breeding, I strongly DO believe that at least if humans will continue, then we will be evolve into a pro-technology paradise that creates biocultured meat, greatly-accelerated carbon capture technologies, & age-reversing & death-reversing technologies. I am NOT interested in, or, rather, I do NOT support wasting resources sending humans into space. I do support sending probes & robots. However, if we DO send humans (further than the ISS, again, since the moonlandings) then I certainly WON'T deny it happened.

[@sandpiperbf9767]

Guy thought he'd get a laugh the second time he said "I object to the question". Nah, but good talk

[@JPWingate]

🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️

[@flyzipper]

Baffled that his take on the future of war is that adversarial machines will target opposing machines.

[@theodenednew8874]

flyzipper take a look at Anduril, they’re working on drones that take out other drones.

[@flyzipper]

@@theodenednew8874 thanks... I suppose I was surprised at his optimism in the statement, " boy, isn't it good that there aren't human beings involved? like... if the machines are shooting at each other, isn't that good?". I fully accept that we will have machines fighting machines, but it's naive (to the point of hubris) to think machines will be the sole targets.

[@happypeter1983]

"Program Biology"

[@MatthewStinar]

When he says the US has gotten cleaner, is he including the pollution of all the manufacturing and recycling we've offshored? I don't think we've gotten cleaner, only offshored our pollution even as it continues to grow.

[@theodenednew8874]

Matthew Stinar He’s probably referring to the measure of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and use of renewable energy sources. The US has improved significantly in all of these measures over the past few decades according to the EPA. In my opinion, from my experiences leaving my cave in the midwest every now and then, we have gotten cleaner

[@MatthewStinar]

@@theodenednew8874 See, I don't believe that's objectively true. I believe we've simply moved our economy's pollution outside our geographic borders. I doubt the recycling and manufacturing done offshore on our behalf is any cleaner than when it was done domestically. In fact, it's likely dirtier

[@juandiosdado]

Exactly. The US has just been shipping their garbage to poor countries like China and Indonesia, but now they're not taking it anymore.

[@anandkapdi4822]

Mukesh Ambani 😍

[@siddhant912]

chill bro

[@SurgeWorld]

Xrp created by @ripple

[@dantexkv9983]

Comment if You here because of Ryan Carson

[@jordan5253]

Kermit the frog

[@katehillier1027]

Your cashing in hence the optimism unless the public can give you the shock of your life.

[@zikegcwk]

Everyone is connected as one big brain - that’s what a first world vc thinks and concerns. For people in Indonesia and may parts of the world, they are concerned about food on the table and cold their daughter are having. This is so disconnected that makes the whole thing not interesting.

[@relaxation718]

Second world should not criticize too much First world - because that's what they are striving for.

[@theodenednew8874]

The poorest people today live far better then they did a 100 years ago because of technological innovation. VCs foster these innovations. You not understanding how these people are helping you more than anyone else doesn’t change the fact that they are.

[@zikegcwk]

I actually work on the tech industry in the first world. But I also worked in Indonesia and saw the daily concerns of people. If you think these VCs actually care anything in these poor neighborhoods then you are delusional. Just think how much tech did to our teacher and firefighters in San Francisco. And the biggest movement to move people out of poverty is done by the Chinese government. And that has to do with how government used debt as a financial instrument to achieve it. Not saying tech did not help, but it’s not the major factor.

[@facundomiranda3391]

@@zikegcwk China grew thanks to USA opening their borders for their cheap products ... that is the most capitalistic shit that happen in the world ( Globalization ), and innovation played a huge role ( transportation and manufacture to keep cost low). Now china has more private jobs than state jobs which was crazy to think back in the 80-90s.... China is really smart with the money they taxed... but couldnt achieve this new incoming mass of middle class population without innovation..dont forget that china is the country with more unicorns now... thanks to the innovation and private corporations.

[@moritzw42]

@@relaxation718 :D

[@bartakin]

WE NEED TO HARNESS SOME NEW TECH AND REGULATE OTHERS..NEW THINGS THAT WORK TO ENHANCE NOT CRUMBLE OUR FUTURE...IT WILL NOT BE JUST OPENING PANDORA'S BOX AND WHAT WILL BE WILL BE...NO KINGS AND SURFS...THIS IS THE LAST GENERATION TO CULL AND SECURE THE FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION...WE NEED EVERYONE WITH A BRAIN TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE TO SLOWLY MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION...OUR GOAL IS A SUCCESSFUL,USEFUL PLAN FOR EVERYONE INCLUDED...NO MORE LAB RATTING ON HUMANS ..ITS FOR HUMANS WITH OUT A DISASTER AND PROVEN BEFORE LAUNCHING...

[@AliIbrahim-kl1xf]

Who else is here after the Silicon Valley girl video?

[@Jurmyhyle12]

It's definitely not that exciting, the utmost mediocrity of youtube videos from Asia have millions of views. The internet is turning into a global time waster.

[@AliIbrahim-kl1xf]

Who else is here after the Silicon Valley girl video?