The a16z Show Ben Horowitz: RSI, Crypto as AI Money, & Classified Physics
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Feb 23, 2026 
Ben Horowitz, cofounder and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, offers sharp startup and tech strategy insight. He debates recursive self-improvement and whether AI can uncover new physics. He explains why crypto may serve as AI-native money and recounts his tense White House remark about regulating math and national security.
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Voice Crossed The Uncanny Valley
- Voice models have crossed the uncanny valley and may become a dominant interface for many users.
- New text-first approaches (e.g., 11 Labs) make expressive, conversational voices feel natural and real-time.
XAI Founding Team Departures
- XAI saw many departures among senior staff around its SpaceX merger, sparking ITAR and reorganization theories.
- Ben Horowitz and others note the exodus likely predates merger decisions and may reflect normal reorganization.
Recursive Self-Improvement Is Already Here
- Frontier labs already use models to develop models, which meets a practical definition of recursive self-improvement.
- Alex and others say RSI is underway now and accelerates algorithmic experimentation loops.