OpenAI Launches Codex, Meta Delays Llama 4 Behemoth | Matt Grimm, Kevin Weil, Blake Scholl, Tim Fist, Chris Best, Sean Henry

Overview

This episode dives into groundbreaking advancements in AI, defense technology, supersonic travel, and supply chain logistics, featuring insights from industry leaders. Discussions range from OpenAI's Codex launch to Meta's challenges with its Llama 4 Behemoth model, and the evolving dynamics of the creator economy.

Notable Quotes

- We look for people who are really driven by the call to service, who want to grind and work hard on challenging problems to help defend our country. - Matt Grimm, on Anduril's hiring philosophy.

- Codex is a software agent that runs in the cloud, working on tasks in parallel. It’s the future of software engineering. - Kevin Weil, on OpenAI's Codex launch.

- We broke the sound barrier permanently—no audible sonic boom. Turns out it’s a software fix. - Blake Scholl, on Boom Supersonic's breakthrough in supersonic flight.

🚀 OpenAI’s Codex Launch

- OpenAI unveiled Codex, a cloud-based software engineering agent capable of handling complex tasks in parallel.

- Kevin Weil explained how Codex leverages GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models fine-tuned for coding, enabling engineers to focus on higher-level problem-solving while Codex handles bug fixes and feature development.

- Codex is integrated into ChatGPT and is rolling out to Pro, Enterprise, and Teams users, with future API integrations planned for broader use cases.

🦾 Meta’s Llama 4 Behemoth Delays

- Meta postponed the release of its Llama 4 Behemoth model due to performance issues and internal team churn.

- The model, boasting 288 billion active parameters, struggled to deliver better results despite its scale.

- The discussion highlighted the diminishing returns of scaling laws in AI and the need for reinforcement learning and reasoning layers to improve capabilities.

✈️ Supersonic Travel Breakthroughs

- Blake Scholl shared Boom Supersonic’s milestone of breaking the sound barrier without generating a sonic boom, achieved through real-time atmospheric calculations using gaming-inspired algorithms.

- Regulatory hurdles remain, including a 1973 ban on supersonic flight over land, but bipartisan support for change is growing.

- Boom’s vision includes making supersonic travel accessible to all, with a timeline targeting passenger flights by 2029.

📦 Supply Chain Innovation at Stord

- Sean Henry announced Stord’s $200M Series E funding and profitability milestone.

- Stord combines a physical fulfillment network with cloud-based technology, enabling brands like Athletic Greens and Quip to offer Amazon Prime-level shipping experiences.

- The company’s rapid deployment capabilities, such as launching fulfillment centers in under 20 days, have been critical during trade disruptions and tariff changes.

📝 Substack’s Role in the Creator Economy

- Chris Best emphasized Substack’s mission to empower independent creators through paid subscriptions, fostering high-quality, long-form content.

- Substack’s growth has been steady, with over 5 million paid subscriptions and a focus on tools like live video and AI-powered content creation.

- Best highlighted the importance of aligning business success with creator independence, contrasting Substack’s model with ad-driven platforms.