Securing AI dominance requires more than just semiconductors; it demands a complete overhaul of how the West manages everything that goes into them, from rare earth minerals to actuators. Enter: Pax Silica. Sarah Guo and Elad Gil sit down with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg to discuss the launch and expansion of Pax Silica, a 14-country economic security coalition designed to secure the entire AI supply chain. Jacob talks about the creation of a forward-deployed industrial base in the Philippines, where 4,000 acres will be developed into an “economic security zone.” He also compares and contrasts Pax Silica with China’s Belt and Road initiative, explains how the US plans to reindustrialize through automation and robotics, and explores how the Trump administration envisions making these policies durable across future presidencies. Plus, we hear why Jacob believes America to be a “global underdog.”
Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com
Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @jacobhelberg | @UnderSecE
Chapters:
00:00 – Cold Open
00:41 – Jacob Helberg Introduction
01:02 – Pax Silica’s Mission
03:51 – Investing in AI Chip Supply Chains
05:43 – Comparing Pax Silica to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
12:38 – Pax Silica’s Value Proposition
14:38 – US vs. Partnered Manufacturing
19:10 – Rare Earth Mineral Pricing
22:16 – Role of Venture Capital in Pax Silica
24:50 – Near vs. Long-Term Priorities
27:09 – Making AI Policy Durable
28:09 – How Policies Impact Entrepreneurs
31:00 – Trump’s Entrepreneurial Administration
33:00 – Why America is a Global Underdog
38:00 – Conclusion
Katherine Boyle speaks with Sarah Rogers, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy, about the intersection of AI, free speech, and global information systems. They discuss how major technological shifts, from the printing press to the internet to AI, have reshaped communication and power, and why this moment may be even more consequential.
Recorded at the a16z American Dynamism Summit, the conversation explores the role of public diplomacy in the digital age, the risks of censorship and overregulation, and how governments are approaching AI as both a national security priority and a platform for global influence. Rogers also highlights the importance of maintaining “AI with a Western soul,” and why preserving open systems and freedom of expression will shape the future of innovation.
Resources:
Follow Sarah B. Rogers on X: https://x.com/UnderSecPD
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.
Erik Torenberg sits down with Jacob Helberg to discuss AI, manufacturing, supply chains, and the new geopolitics of technology. Drawing on themes from Helberg’s book The Wires of War, they explore why hardware, industrial capacity, and secure supply chains have become central to both economic strength and national security.
They also unpack what it means to “win the AI race” — from model leadership and global adoption to energy, compute, tariffs, and reindustrialization in the U.S.
Resources:
Find Jacob Helberg on X: https://x.com/jacobhelberg
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.
(0:00) Jason and Sacks welcome Sarah B. Rogers!
(2:22) Free speech, EU censorship, OSA/DSA overreach?
(13:44) Censorship on mass migration policies, major fines against US companies, the DSA as a "censorship tariff"
(22:59) AI deepfakes, giving freedom the benefit of the doubt, Biden-era censorship
(34:42) Understanding the "Censorship Industrial Complex" in America
Follow Sarah:
https://x.com/UnderSecPD
Follow the besties:
https://x.com/chamath
https://x.com/Jason
https://x.com/DavidSacks
https://x.com/friedberg
Follow on X:
https://x.com/theallinpod
Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod
Follow on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod
Follow on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod
Intro Music Credit:
https://rb.gy/tppkzl
https://x.com/yung_spielburg
Intro Video Credit:
https://x.com/TheZachEffect
AI doomers say that the technology will be the ultimate job-killer. But Jacob Helberg wants people to see AI as a tech that will boost, not replace, human workers and give them superpowers. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg joins Sarah Guo and Elad Gil to talk about AI’s role in reshoring manufacturing in America, supply chain security, and transforming the US energy grid. He also discusses the CapEx revolution, why he sees opportunity for tech and energy partnerships in the Middle East, and the path to more nuclear energy for the US. Plus, the three explore what the “superintelligence century” could look like.
Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com
Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @jacobhelberg
Chapters:
00:00 – Jacob Helberg Introduction
00:50 – Jacob’s Agenda for Capitol Hill
01:53 – Reshoring the American Supply Chain
04:38 – Areas of CapEx Growth
06:56 – Importance of Supply Chain Security
08:52 – Reshoring Rare Earth Minerals
11:12 – How AI Can Help America Reindustrialize
15:37 – AI and Productivity Gains
17:38 – The Superintelligence Century
22:56 – Creating an Open Source AI Ecosystem
24:41 – The Middle East and AI
26:24 – Growing Energy Resources in the US
28:28 – The Path to More Nuclear Energy in the US
35:50 – Essential Domains for Strategy and Security
38:20 – The Tech Industry and the Administration
40:29 – Conclusion
(0:00) The besties introduce the day with Jacob Helberg
(9:08) Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
(18:24) Chris Power, Hadrian
(35:15) Jake Loosararian, Gecko Robotics
(44:37) Shyam Sankar, Palantir
(1:00:33) Paul Buchheit, Y Combinator
(1:13:35) Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Thanks to our partners for making this happen:
NYSE : https://www.nyse.com
Visa: https://usa.visa.com
Follow the besties:
https://x.com/chamath
https://x.com/Jason
https://x.com/DavidSacks
https://x.com/friedberg
Follow on X:
https://x.com/theallinpod
Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod
Follow on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod
Follow on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod
Intro Music Credit:
https://rb.gy/tppkzl
https://x.com/yung_spielburg
Intro Video Credit:
https://x.com/TheZachEffect
In this episode of the NVIDIA AI Podcast, Sara Minkara, U.S. Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, and Timothy Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics, discuss AI's potential to enhance education and disability inclusion. They emphasize the importance of including disability communities in AI development, as well as the cultural and social benefits of building an inclusive future.
Read the transcript:
https://blogs.nvidia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AI-Podcast_Disability-Inclusion-and-Education_Transcript.pdf
Jason does a short news segment on China’s Bitcoin Mining hash rate falling to 0 and how the U.S. is now the largest mining hub (1:59). Then, Jacob Helberg author of "The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power," joins to discuss China's long-term goals (9:03), the United States' lack of preparedness, the struggle for control of front-end and backend technologies (32:22), plus much more.
