The web is unhealthy, and AI agents are about to rewrite how we shop.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Alex Rampell and Partner Justine Moore explore how AI agents will change commerce and the implications for Google’s business model, affiliate marketing, online shopping, and more.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction

0:12 The Role of AI Agents in Commerce

1:28 Affiliate Marketing & Impulse Buys

4:02 Observing Consumer Behavior & AI

6:08 Dynamic Pricing & E-commerce Trends

7:20 Online vs. Offline Shopping Behaviors

10:09 The Challenge of Attribution in Commerce

12:19 Aggregators, Brands, and Business Models

15:24 Trend Cycles & Single SKU Retailers

17:49 Google, Search, and the Freemium Model

22:41 The Unhealthy Web & Commercialization

26:04 Video Reviews & Trust in Commerce

29:10 The Costco Model & Consumer Trust

33:15 AI’s Impact on Different Types of Purchases

39:56 The Future: Specialized Shopping Agents

40:16 Opportunities for New Durable Companies

44:18 The Merchant Side: Infrastructure for AI Agents

Resources:

Read the article: http://a16z.com/ai-x-commerce/

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/arampell

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

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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.

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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.

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OpenAI’s Codex has already shipped hundreds of thousands of pull requests in its first month. But what is it really, and how will coding agents change the future of software?

In this episode, General Partner Anjney Midha goes behind the scenes with one of Codex’s product leads- Alexander Embiricos - to unpack its origin story, why its PR success rate is so high, the safety challenges of autonomous agents, and what this all means for developers, students, and the future of coding.

Timecodes:

0:00 Intro: The Vision for AI Agents

1:25 Codex’s Origin and Naming

3:20 Early Prototypes and Agent Form Factors

6:00 Cloud Agents: Safety and Security

9:40 Prompt Injection and Attack Vectors

12:00 PR Merging: Metrics and Transparency

17:00 The Future of Code Review and Automation

20:00 User Adoption: Internal vs. External Surprises

22:00 Multi-Turn Interactions and Product Learnings

29:30 Best-of-N, Slot Machine Analogy, and Creativity

33:00 Human Taste, Iteration, and Collaboration

40:00 AI’s Impact on Software Engineering Careers

45:00 Education, CS Degrees, and AI Integration

49:00 Prototyping, Hackathons, and Speed to Magic

55:00 Legacy Code, Modernization, and Global Adoption

1:00:00 Enterprise, Security, and Air-Gapped Environments

1:05:00 Product Roadmap and Future of Codex

1:10:00 Advice for Founders and Startups

1:15:00 Education Reform and Project-Based Learning

1:20:00 Hiring, Building, and New Grad Advice

Resources:

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/embirico

Find Anjney on X: https://twitter.com/AnjneyMidha

Stay Updated:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

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Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711

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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

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Follow our host: https://twitter.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.

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Can we make science as fast as software?

In this episode, Erik Torenberg talks with Patrick Hsu (cofounder of Arc Institute) and a16z general partner Jorge Conde about Arc’s “virtual cells” moonshot, which uses foundation models to simulate biology and guide experiments.

They discuss why research is slow, what an AlphaFold-style moment for cell biology could look like, and how AI might improve drug discovery. The conversation also covers hype versus substance in AI for biology, clinical bottlenecks, capital intensity, and how breakthroughs like GLP-1s show the path from science to major business and health impact.

Resources:

Find Patrick on X: https://x.com/pdhsu

Find Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify

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Follow our host: https://twitter.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.

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