AI Hardware, Explained

In 2011, Marc Andreessen said, “software is eating the world.” And in the last year, we’ve seen a new wave of generative AI, with some apps becoming some of the most swiftly adopted software products of all time.

So if software is becoming more important than ever, hardware is following suit. In this episode – the first in our three-part series – we explore the terminology and technology that is now the backbone of the AI models taking the world by storm. We’ll explore what GPUs are, how they work, the key players like Nvidia competing for chip dominance, and also… whether Moore’s Law is dead?

Look out for the rest of our series, where we dive even deeper; covering supply and demand mechanics, including why we can’t just “print” our way out of a shortage, how founders get access to inventory, whether they should own or rent, where open source plays a role, and of course… how much all of this truly costs!

Topics Covered:

00:00 – AI terminology and technology

03:44 - Chips, semiconductors, servers, and compute

04:48 - CPUs and GPUs

06:07 - Future architecture and performance

07:01 - The hardware ecosystem

09:05 - Software optimizations

12:23 - What do we expect for the future?

14:35 - Upcoming episodes on market and cost

Resources:

• Find Guido on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appenz/
• Find Guido on Twitter: https://twitter.com/appenz

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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.