IBM Nukes, Demis Govt Plan, Paramount WBD Deep Dive | Dylan Byers, Noah Schochet, Saam Motamedi, Ioannis Antonoglou, Jack Dent, Evan Burns & Jamie Seltzer, Tyler Page

July 14, 2026 • 2 hr 22 min

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🤖 AI Summary

Overview

This episode dives into a range of topics, from IBM's stock plunge and the challenges of AI regulation to the future of Hollywood mergers, groundbreaking advancements in construction robotics, and AI-driven drug discovery. Featuring insights from industry leaders, the discussion highlights the transformative impact of AI across sectors and the evolving regulatory and business landscapes.

Notable Quotes

- The size of the prizes available in AI dwarfs prior software categories. You can have more winners that get larger, much faster. – Saam Motamedi, on the transformative potential of AI.

- We are technologically capable of going to Mars today if we had the political and economic desire. – Noah Schochet, on the intersection of robotics and space exploration.

- AI is still on this exponential curve, and incredible things are ahead of us. – Ioannis Antonoglou, reflecting on the rapid progress in AI.

🖥️ IBM's Stock Plunge and AI Challenges

- IBM's stock dropped 25% due to a reset in its server business narrative, despite strong performance in the AI era.

- John Coogan explains that IBM is losing out in key AI spending areas like GPUs, hyperscale cloud computing, and frontier model inference.

- Historical context: IBM's dominance in the mainframe era was driven by high reliability and expensive switching costs, but the PC era fractured its market share.

📜 Demis Hassabis' Call for AI Regulation

- Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind, advocates for a U.S.-led standards body to test frontier AI models for risks like cybersecurity and bio threats.

- Debate ensues over the feasibility of regulating open-source and foreign AI models, with concerns about slowing innovation in U.S. labs while rivals face fewer restrictions.

- Ioannis Antonoglou emphasizes the importance of maintaining a competitive open AI ecosystem in the U.S. to drive innovation and accessibility.

🏗️ Revolutionizing Construction with Robotics

- Noah Schochet, co-founder of TerraFirma, discusses retrofitting heavy machinery with robotics to accelerate construction timelines.

- The company aims for 75% autonomy, with humans overseeing multiple machines, likening the process to playing StarCraft in real life.

- Schochet envisions a future where construction integrates robotics and redesigned materials, enabling faster and more efficient building processes.

💊 AI-Driven Drug Discovery

- Jack Dent of Chai Discovery introduces a platform likened to Photoshop for molecules, enabling pharmaceutical companies to design new drugs.

- The platform uses 3D modeling to place atoms in space, revolutionizing workflows and reducing the time to discover viable drug candidates.

- Dent highlights a breakthrough where their AI solved a problem that had stumped scientists for years, showcasing the platform's transformative potential.

🌐 Hollywood Mergers and Regulatory Pressures

- Dylan Byers analyzes David Ellison's $111 billion effort to merge Warner Brothers Discovery with Paramount, facing opposition from California AG Rob Bonta.

- Byers argues that regulatory concerns are outdated, as Hollywood competes with tech giants like Netflix and YouTube for consumer attention.

- The discussion touches on the potential relocation of studios from Hollywood to more business-friendly states, reflecting broader industry shifts.

AI-generated content may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon as a sole source of truth.

📋 Episode Description

(00:21) - IBM Nukes

(07:36) - Demis Govt Plan

(20:08) - NY Pauses AI Datacenters

(25:38) - Can Pretty Data centers Win?

(27:58) - Clanker Whales

(29:23) - Dylan Byers, a founding partner and senior correspondent at Puck, is known for his in-depth coverage of the media industry. He discusses the challenges David Ellison faces in merging Warner Brothers Discovery with Paramount, highlighting opposition from Democratic state attorneys general, particularly California's Rob Bonta, who seeks to block the deal on grounds that Byers argues are outdated given the current media landscape. Byers also touches on the potential for Hollywood studios to relocate operations in response to regulatory pressures, emphasizing the evolving nature of the entertainment industry.

(59:54) - Noah Schochet, co-founder and CEO of TerraFirma, discusses how he and his co-founder, both former SpaceX engineers, founded the company to revolutionize the construction industry by integrating robotics and automation to accelerate building processes. They retrofit existing heavy machinery with custom-built software and hardware, enabling remote operation and increased efficiency. Schochet emphasizes that while full autonomy may not be cost-effective due to construction's numerous edge cases, achieving approximately 75% autonomy with human oversight can significantly enhance productivity.

(01:10:58) - Saam Motamedi, a partner at Greylock Partners, focuses on early-stage investments in AI, cybersecurity, and enterprise software. He discusses Greylock's new $1.5 billion fund, Greylock 18, aimed at supporting early-stage founders, particularly in AI. Motamedi emphasizes the vast opportunities in AI across the technology stack, from foundational models to applications, and highlights the potential for multiple significant winners in emerging categories due to the transformative impact of AI on various industries.

(01:21:48) - Ioannis Antonoglou, co-founder, president, and CTO of Reflection AI, previously served as a founding engineer at DeepMind, contributing to projects like AlphaGo and AlphaZero. In the conversation, he discusses Reflection AI's mission to develop frontier open models, emphasizing the need for exceptional talent and substantial computational resources, exemplified by their recent billion-dollar deal with Nubius. He also reflects on the rapid advancements in AI over the past 15 years, highlighting the importance of adaptability and the exponential nature of progress in the field.

(01:31:25) - Jack Dent, co-founder and president of Chai Discovery, discusses the company's development of an AI-driven platform for molecular design, likening it to a "Computer Aided design suite for molecules" that enables the creation of new medicines. He highlights the platform's focus on the pharmaceutical industry, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize drug discovery by designing