Squawk Pod Aaru, Iran, & an AI Horror Story 3/20/26
Mar 20, 2026
Katie Haun, venture capitalist behind Haun Ventures and investor in fintech and blockchain. Ned Koh, co-founder of Aaru building AI simulation models for market and policy use. They discuss Mastercard buying BVNK and the future of stablecoins. They show how Aaru models human behavior and real-world validation. Other highlights touch on AI-created books, Iran war impacts, and Amazon’s rumored AI smartphone.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Simulation Beats Surveys For HardToReach Behavior
- Aru uses large models to simulate human behavior where surveys fail due to sampling bias.
- They target behaviors invisible to surveys, like niche consumer groups and private habits, to extract high-alpha signals.
GLP1s Reshape Alcohol Occasions Not Just Volume
- Aru predicts long‑term shifts from GLP‑1 adoption: fewer calories per drink but more drinking occasions.
- Their simulation shows users become more social over years, moving from beers/seltzers to spirits.
Prove AI With ClientKnown GroundTruth
- Prove model accuracy by backtesting against cases clients already know instead of asking them to trust you.
- Aru runs the exact same survey/questions the client used and simulates the same groups to show better predictions.