The AI hardware race is heating up, and NVIDIA is still far ahead. What will it take to close the gap?

In this episode, Dylan Patel (Founder & CEO, SemiAnalysis) joins Erin Price-Wright (General Partner, a16z), Guido Appenzeller (Partner, a16z), and host Erik Torenberg to break down the state of AI chips, data centers, and infrastructure strategy.

We discuss:

Why simply copying NVIDIA won’t work, and what it takes to beat them
How custom silicon from Google, Amazon, and Meta could reshape the market
The economics of AI model launches and the shift toward cost efficiency
Infrastructure bottlenecks: power, cooling, and the global supply chain
The rise of AI silicon startups and the challenges they face
Export controls, China’s AI ambitions, and geopolitics in the chip race
Big tech’s next moves: advice for leaders like Jensen Huang, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk

Resources:

Find Dylan on X: https://x.com/dylan522p

Find Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright

Find Guido on X: https://x.com/appenz

Learn more about SemiAnalysis: https://semianalysis.com/dylan-patel/

Stay Updated:

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dylan Patel: GPT-5, NVIDIA, Intel, Meta, Apple

Powered by Wave AI