AI Creates New Viruses: 1000x Cheaper, Zero Guardrails
AI now designs entirely new viruses, drastically cutting costs. This biotech leap brings immense risks, as governments fail to build necessary biosecurity guardrails.
AI Viruses, Social Media Addiction, Mansion Section
With John Coogan, Jordi Hays, Samir Call, Patrick Wendell, Grant · Sunday, August 9, 2026
This episode explores the implications of AI-generated viruses for biosecurity and biotech, and discusses OpenAI's rumored consumer hardware. It delves into Meta's social media addiction lawsuits, comparing them to the historic tobacco settlement, and features interviews with Coastal Ventures' Samir Call on investing in Jeff Dean's new AI venture, and DataBricks' Patrick Wendell on managing AI coding costs. The episode also highlights Whatnot's impressive growth and $20 billion valuation in the live shopping space.
AI Costs Exploding? DataBricks' 3-Part Fix
DataBricks co-founder Patrick Wendell reveals how they stopped AI's 'exponential cost curve' with rapid model shifts, smart routing, and classic engineering.
Google's AI Retreat: Why DeepMind Lost the Frontier
A SemiAnalysis report claims Google's bureaucratic culture and short-term cloud revenue priorities killed DeepMind's frontier AI ambitions. Learn the hard lesson.
Meta's $900M Ruling: Why Social Media Faces a Tobacco-Style Reckoning
A $900M ruling against Meta shows states are shifting tactics. Learn how the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement model predicts long-term regulatory pain for tech.
Whatnot's $20B: Live Shopping Works Because It's Retail, Not TV
Whatnot hit a $20 billion valuation by proving live shopping replicates brick-and-mortar retail without fixed costs. Trust, built on deep product knowledge, beats entertainment.