In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined in the studio by @DwarkeshPatel and Noah Smith to explore one of the biggest questions in tech: what exactly is artificial general intelligence (AGI), and how close are we to achieving it? They break down: - Competing definitions of AGI - economic vs. cognitive vs. “godlike” - Why reasoning alone isn’t enough - and what capabilities models still lack - The debate over substitution vs. complementarity between AI and human labor - What an AI-saturated economy might look like - from growth projections to UBI, sovereign wealth funds, and galaxy-colonizing robots - How AGI could reshape global power, geopolitics, and the future of work Along the way, they tackle failed predictions, surprising AI limitations, and the philosophical and economic consequences of building machines that think—and perhaps one day, act—like us. Timecodes: Resources: Find Dwarkesh on X: https://x.com/dwarkesh_sp Find Dwarkesh on YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/DwarkeshPatel Subscribe to Dwarkesh’s Substack: https://www.dwarkesh.com/ Find Noah on X: https://x.com/noahpinion Subscribe to Noah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ 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.