Rick Rubin on AI, Creativity, and The Way of Code
Rick Rubin joins Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Anjney Midha, and Erik Torenberg to discuss creativity, artificial intelligence, and his book The Way of Code, which reimagines the Tao Te Ching for the age of AI.
The conversation explores vibe coding, remix culture, artistic process, entrepreneurship, and what AI changes, and doesn't change, about creativity. Rubin argues that AI is best understood not as a replacement for artists, but as another creative tool, one that expands what's possible while making taste, curiosity, and individual perspective even more valuable.
Along the way, they discuss music, philosophy, startup building, collective intelligence, and why the most enduring creative work begins with staying true to yourself rather than trying to satisfy an audience.
Resources:
Follow Rick Rubin on X: https://x.com/rickrubin
Follow Marc Andreessen on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz
Follow Anjney Midha on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha
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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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Rick Rubin: Vibe Coding is the Punk Rock of Software
On this episode of "The Ben & Marc Show", a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with legendary music producer and bestselling author Rick Rubin to explore the origin of his unexpected new creation: "The Way of Code"
Blending ancient philosophy and modern AI, The Way of Code reimagines the 3,000-year-old Tao Te Ching for the age of artificial intelligence, software, and “vibe coding.” What began as a viral tweet quickly evolved into a creative manifesto—part book, part tool, part spiritual operating system for the future.
Joined by a16z General Partners Anjney Midha and Erik Torenberg, the group dives deep into:
- How Rick became a meme for Vibe Coding —and then quickly wrote "The Way of Code"
- Why AI is just another artistic tool - Remix culture, creativity, and collective consciousness
- Why great founders and artists need to stay true to themselves
With shout outs to punk rock, the collective unconscious, and Johnny Cash’s famed acoustic sessions, this conversation is a sprawling, soul-searching journey across music, philosophy, tech, and truth. We hope you enjoy this deeply personal and surprisingly practical conversation on how to live—and create—in the age of AI.
The Way of Code: https://www.thewayofcode.com/
Resources:
Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz
Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/
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This information is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any investment or financial product. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described in this podcast are not representative of all a16z investments and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by a16z is available at https://a16z.com/investment-list/. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but a16z does not guarantee its accuracy.
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Rick Rubin: Vibe Coding is the Punk Rock of Software
In this episode a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with legendary music producer and bestselling author Rick Rubin to explore the origin of his unexpected new creation: "The Way of Code"*
Blending ancient philosophy and modern AI, The Way of Code reimagines the 3,000-year-old Tao Te Ching for the age of artificial intelligence, software, and “vibe coding.” What began as a viral tweet quickly evolved into a creative manifesto—part book, part tool, part spiritual operating system for the future. Joined by a16z General Partners Anjney Midha and Erik Torenberg, the group dives deep into:
How Rick became a meme for Vibe Coding —and then quickly wrote "The Way of Code"
Why AI is just another artistic tool
Remix culture, creativity, and collective consciousness
Why great founders and artists need to stay true to themselves
With shout outs to punk rock, the collective unconscious, and Johnny Cash’s famed acoustic sessions, this conversation is a sprawling, soul-searching journey across music, philosophy, tech, and truth. We hope you enjoy this deeply personal and surprisingly practical conversation on how to live—and create—in the age of AI.
The Way of Code: https://www.thewayofcode.com/
“Tools will come and tools will go. Only the vibe coder remains.” - Rick Rubin
Resources:
Watch the Tetragrammaton podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Gat6FdyiG5ydUUHqPTAEQ
Rick on X: https://x.com/rickrubin
Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz
Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/
Anjney on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha
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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 YouTube: YouTube
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts
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.
Rick Rubin on Art, Life and Vibe Coding
Legendary music producer Rick Rubin joins NLW on The AI Daily Brief for a singular conversation about creativity, technology, and how a meme turned into something much deeper. After unexpectedly becoming the internet’s unofficial mascot of “vibe coding,” Rubin leaned into the joke—and emerged with a profound new collaboration: The Way of Code, a Tao Te Ching–inspired, interactive living book co-created with Anthropic and Claude.
Read "The Way of Code" - https://www.thewayofcode.com/
They explore why Rubin, famously a non-technical producer, sees alignment between ancient philosophy and generative AI; how vibe coding democratizes creativity and expands taste; and why he believes AI won’t replace artists—but might help us see differently. The conversation spans Jay-Z and Johnny Cash, orchestration and intention, and how great art often begins where certainty ends.
If you've ever wondered what the future of creative collaboration looks like—or what happens when Rick Rubin writes a book about something he doesn’t understand—this is the episode for you.
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#275 – Rick Rubin: Legendary Music Producer
Rick Rubin is one of the greatest music producers of all time, working with many of the greats including Beastie Boys, Eminem, Metallica, LL Cool J, Kanye West, Slayer, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Dixie Chicks, Aerosmith, Adele, Danzig, Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down, Jay-Z, Black Sabbath. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Rick’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/RickRubin
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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:46) – Nietzsche and music
(18:47) – Rick’s approach with artists
(30:10) – Beautiful simplicity in music
(33:54) – Marvin Gaye
(43:09) – Best album of all time
(47:02) – Paul McCartney
(49:08) – Ideas
(51:30) – Rebellion and conformity
(56:18) – Fitness
(59:27) – Johnny Cash
(1:09:23) – Tom Waits
(1:14:01) – Lyrics vs rhythm
(1:18:48) – Johnny Cash continued
(1:20:47) – Beastie Boys
(1:27:09) – Depression
(1:31:31) – Art vs Business
(1:40:18) – Art of conversation
(1:56:52) – Rick’s podcast
(2:00:02) – Advice for young people
(2:04:07) – Mortality
(2:06:42) – Meaning of life