TWiST News: Underwater Drones, Robot Swarms, and Klarna's Going Public | E2043

Jason and Alex kick off the show (0s)

• Modular underwater drones are being developed, which can be broken down and carried in a backpack, allowing users to add extended battery packs for additional range (13s).
• These drones can be used for various purposes, such as enhancing missions or gathering data in remote areas, and could potentially be used by researchers or the military (27s).
• The company developing these drones could have a significant legacy if they are used to make groundbreaking discoveries, such as finding the Loch Ness monster (44s).
• This episode of "This Week in Startups" is sponsored by Squarespace, Lemon, and Sprig, which offer services such as website creation, remote developer hiring, and AI-powered product experience platforms (54s).
• The hosts, Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm, are excited to discuss the latest developments in technology, including robots and vehicles, which they believe are bringing back American and Chinese dynamism (1m32s).
• Jason expresses his enthusiasm for new and exciting technologies, hoping to experience the same sense of joy he felt when he got his first smartphone, the original iPhone (2m9s).
• The hosts will be discussing various topics, including surgery robots and robots from China that can run through the woods in a new format (2m18s).
• The first guest will be interviewed to discuss what they are building, but the details of the guest and their project are not yet revealed (2m35s).

VATN Systems’ Nelson Mills joins the show (2m40s)

• Nelson Mills, one of the co-founders of VATN Systems, a company based in Rhode Island, is working on underwater drone technology with both defense and commercial applications (2m40s).
• VATN Systems recently raised a $13 million seed round led by Dy Ventures (3m1s).
• The company's first product is called the Tors on the commercial side and the Scale MIR S6 on the defense side, which is a 6-inch diameter, lightweight, and cost-effective underwater drone (3m36s).
• The ultimate goal of VATN Systems is to build the underwater drones at scale, starting next year, and make it easy for one person to deploy and control multiple drones (3m50s).
• The underwater drones are designed to be man-portable, with the company's CTO shown carrying one, and are being tested and worked on by the company's engineers (3m27s).

The Torsk and its applications, focusing on defense and cost efficiency (4m1s)

• The Torsk is an underwater drone that resembles a torpedo but does not contain explosives, is approximately 6-7 feet long, and is lightweight enough to be deployed from a small boat by one person (4m1s).
• The Torsk's primary mission is to carry sensors, such as sidescan sonar, passive acoustic, and cameras, to collect data on the seafloor for various applications, including offshore wind, oil and gas, and environmental monitoring (4m23s).
• The company's current focus is on defense, with 95% of their efforts concentrated on the Torsk, which can carry a variety of payloads, including sensors and electronic warfare modules (4m56s).
• The Torsk has various defensive applications beyond traditional torpedoes, such as launching smaller drones or serving as a decoy to mimic a ship (5m17s).
• The Torsk's military variant costs around $75,000, significantly less than equivalent systems from defense primes, which can cost $500,000 or more (6m23s).
• The cost difference is attributed to inefficiencies in the traditional defense contracting system and the company's approach to building the Torsk for scale production, allowing for reduced costs through vertical integration of key components (6m37s).

Product velocity, military drone usage, and vehicle speed and depth capabilities (7m23s)

• The company has achieved impressive product velocity, moving from prototypes to fully operational systems in just a year, which is relatively fast and cost-effective compared to what military contractors spend on similar devices (7m23s).
• The use of drones in conflicts is changing, with quadcopters being used in the field, such as in Ukraine, and the possibility of a conflict with China over Taiwan, highlighting the importance of not having to recover the device if it's captured or sinks (7m45s).
• The underwater drone can collect information without being recovered, making it a cost-effective option compared to a $100 million plane or a $25 million boat (8m11s).
• The device can collect data similar to what a submarine could collect, but it's not a direct equivalent, and its primary focus is on the top 300 meters of the water, producing effects and collecting data on the top part of the ocean environment (8m23s).
• The device is powered and can go up to 300 meters deep, but it's not limited to that depth, and its speed is not necessarily affected by the pressure and drag of the water (9m25s).
• The underwater drone is faster than a traditional unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), but not as fast as a torpedo, and it can conduct a variety of missions, with some vehicles approaching 30 knots, compared to the typical 3-5 knots of a UUV (9m56s).
• The device is designed to control the underwater environment, which can give the military control over the surface, and the company is building around 100 underwater drones a year in the US (9m8s).
• The company's philosophy is to give the military the tools to spread control or power underwater, and they believe that controlling the underwater environment is key to controlling the surface (9m2s).
• The device is not designed to go as fast as a ship or a submarine on the surface, but it can still have a significant impact, such as countering the 10,000 Maritime militia vessels of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which are not fast but still pose a threat (10m38s).

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• Squarespace features an e-commerce engine with built-in payment technology, making it simple to use and allowing users to start generating revenue immediately (11m26s).
• The platform provides various tools, including email campaigns, donation capabilities, domains, analytics, and SEO, all built-in from day one (11m37s).
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Discussion on Chinese navy, US shipbuilding, and Rhode Island's manufacturing capabilities (12m1s)

• China has been increasing the size of its Navy, with a focus on building a large number of vessels, including those for the South China Sea, a potentially disputed area that could be the site of the next major theater of war (12m14s).
• The US Navy has significantly more tonnage, but China has been building rapidly and has a larger number of ships, which could be a concern for the US in the event of a conflict (12m57s).
• The US has a challenge in producing ships and core systems quickly enough in the event of a conflict, which is why drones, including underwater drones, could be a solution (13m12s).
• There is currently no platform manufacturer of underwater drones in the US, which is a gap that a company based in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, aims to fill (13m31s).
• The company plans to build thousands of underwater drones in Rhode Island, which has a great infrastructure for manufacturing and defense, and may also work with other states in the US (13m53s).
• Rhode Island has a history of building submarines, which has established a contracting world for boat-building in the state (14m13s).
• The US Navy's tonnage is largely held in its aircraft carriers, which are enormous and nuclear-powered, but underwater drones could potentially undercut the power of these traditional weapon systems (14m30s).
• Building large numbers of underwater drones could be a more cost-effective and faster way to counter China's shipbuilding capacity, and could also reduce the risk to American sailors' lives (14m47s).
• Underwater drones are not a replacement for main warships, but could be used to take warfighters farther away from the action and have been shown to be effective in the Black Sea (15m7s).

Climate for raising money in defense tech and competition in global politics (15m45s)

• The climate around defense tech startups has changed significantly over the past 10 years, with venture capitalists now more willing to invest in the space, as seen in the success of companies like Anduril and SpaceX (15m47s).
• The Ukraine conflict has highlighted the impact technology can have on defense, contributing to the growth of interest in defense tech startups (16m52s).
• Defense tech was previously not a popular area for venture capital investment, but the success of companies like Anduril has paved the way for others to enter the space (17m4s).
• The shift in interest towards defense tech startups is expected to lead to both successes and failures, as is typical in the venture capital industry (17m25s).
• The competitive nature of capitalism and democracy is seen as a strength in driving innovation, as it allows for the best teams and solutions to rise to the top, whereas authoritarian governments may struggle to replicate this motivation (19m0s).
• The messy and chaotic nature of democracy and capitalism is seen as a necessary aspect of driving progress and innovation, even if it leads to some companies failing (18m26s).
• The motivation behind innovation should be opportunity, pride, competitiveness, and excellence, rather than fear, as these factors drive progress and growth (19m23s).
• Competition and excellence are essential for a thriving society, and it's crucial to acknowledge and appreciate their importance (19m33s).
• The current movement towards innovation and technological advancements could be the key to preserving democracy and increasing the number of people living in democratic systems (19m48s).
• The ability to vote, debate, and have a say in the leadership of a country is a valuable aspect of democracy that should not be taken for granted (20m7s).
• The success of a country can be attributed to its ability to innovate, grow, and outspend its adversaries, as seen in the example of the Union's failure due to its command economy (20m29s).
• Defense technology is not just about winning wars, but also about preventing future conflicts by showcasing the best technology and being a formidable opponent (20m40s).
• The concept of not conducting a war unless victory is certain is rooted in Sun Tzu's philosophy, and this idea can be applied to modern defense strategies (20m44s).
• By innovating and putting the best technology on the field, a country can deter potential adversaries and reduce the likelihood of war (20m50s).

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• The developers available through Lemon.io have competitive rates, and the company handles the process of finding and integrating them into a team (21m40s).
• To be offered through Lemon.io, developers must have at least 3 years of experience and be in the top 1% of applicants (21m51s).
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• Founders can find their perfect developer or tech team through Lemon.io in 48 hours or less by visiting lemon.twist (22m12s).
• Twist listeners are eligible for a 15% discount on their first four weeks of developer time through Lemon.io (22m21s).

Underwater drone technologies: Autonomy, swarming, communication challenges, and battery life (22m33s)

• Instinct is an inertial navigation system developed for underwater drones, set to be released as an independent product in 2026, but it will be integrated into vehicles sooner than that (22m59s).
• Autonomy is crucial for underwater drones due to the limitations of underwater communication, which is restricted to short-range acoustic signals or limited light-based communication (24m5s).
• Underwater drones rely on full-stack autonomy and swarming software, enabling single-agent and multi-agent autonomy, as they cannot be controlled in real-time once they dive (23m14s).
• The density of water makes it difficult to send signals, and current technology is limited to kilobytes per second with a range of 1 to 8 kilometers (24m15s).
• New startups are working on improving underwater communication technology, but there are physical barriers to overcome, such as the defraction of light and water (24m27s).
• The limitations of underwater communication force companies to develop autonomous systems from the start, with no safety driver or mission control specialist (24m56s).
• Underwater drones can communicate with each other more easily than with the surface, enabling the creation of a mesh network for communication and data relay (25m19s).
• A drone or a surface vessel can act as a relay to communicate between the underwater swarm and the surface, providing a secure and hard-to-jam communication channel (25m36s).
• Underwater drones can be used for various missions, and their ability to coordinate with each other is crucial for the success of these missions (25m56s).
• The underwater drones have a battery pack that allows them to operate for a few hours to a day or more, depending on the size of the vehicle (26m19s).
• The vehicles are fully modular, allowing users to break them down and add extended battery packs or other components to increase their range (26m47s).
• The modularity of the vehicles also makes them portable, allowing users to carry them in a backpack and deploy them in remote or hard-to-reach areas (26m51s).
• Potential use cases for the underwater drones include military operations, research, and exploration, such as searching for the Loch Ness Monster (27m14s).
• The company is working on larger vehicles, referred to as Gen 2 and Gen 3, which will have extended ranges, but the exact size of these vehicles has not been disclosed (27m39s).
• The development of underwater drones is seen as important for national security and protecting democracy, as they can provide a different type of equipment for various theaters of operation (28m1s).
• The underwater drones are not intended to be a replacement for nuclear deterrence but rather a complementary technology that can be used in different types of conflicts (28m15s).

Defense technology importance and peace through strength (28m32s)

• The concept of "peace through strength" is emphasized as a crucial aspect of maintaining global stability, with the United States having been a dominant world power since World War II (28m32s).
• Nelson, a guest, is thanked for appearing on the show and is wished continued success (28m41s).
• The company Nelson represents is currently hiring a large number of people, with a particular need for skilled professionals (28m45s).
• The most difficult position to fill is for an inertial navigation engineer or guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) engineer, with exceptional talent being sought for these roles (28m49s).
• The company is based in Rhode Island, which is described as an incredible place to live, and has a great GNC team that is looking to add more talented individuals (29m7s).

Sprig - Visit to book a demo and get a $75 gift card. (29m17s)

• Sprig is a product experience platform that uses AI to analyze and provide real-time insights on how to improve a product, helping to drive revenue, increase retention, and reduce churn (29m40s).
• Top product teams at companies like Notion and Figma are already using Sprig's AI to unlock new opportunities at scale (30m10s).
• The format of the show has changed to include entrepreneurs discussing their work, followed by news, allowing for a more efficient way to share information (30m31s).
• The American dynamism movement is about understanding trends and where the market is heading, which is what the show aims to do (31m18s).
• Venture capitalists are learning which hardware categories can build sustainable businesses, with platform companies solving complex problems being more viable (31m32s).
• Companies like Density, which builds platforms to solve important problems like understanding space usage, are more likely to survive and thrive (32m20s).
• Density started by counting the number of people coming in and out of a coffee shop in San Francisco, with the potential application being knowing how busy a space is (32m35s).
• Google tracks the number of phones entering a location to determine how busy a place is, utilizing data from Google Maps users, which is not considered spyware but rather a useful application of user data (32m43s).
• Hardware development is challenging, but with the right customer and venture capital support, it can be managed, as seen in the case of a defense contractor that started with only $13 million (33m19s).
• The commodification of sensor technology has made it more affordable, with the cost of batteries decreasing due to the scale achieved by electric vehicles, Tesla, and iPhone batteries (33m35s).
• The development of technologies such as 3D printing and metal fabrication has enabled prototyping and commercial production at smaller scales with less investment, making it more accessible to companies (34m14s).
• The margin point is critical, as seen in the example of webcams, where there is little margin left, but in the case of defense contractors, the same technologies can cost $500,000, leaving a significant margin to be exploited (34m32s).
• Jeff Bezos is quoted as saying, "Your margin is my opportunity," highlighting the potential for companies to capitalize on untapped margins in various industries (34m52s).

LG's new stretchable screen technology and Deep Robotics' quadruped robot (35m0s)

• LG has developed a new stretchable screen that can stretch up to 50% from 12 to 18 inches, a significant improvement from previous stretchable screens that only had 20% stretchability (35m4s).
• The development of stretchable screens is making progress in the field of monitors and screens, similar to the advancements in foldable phones, which have become increasingly popular, especially in the Middle East (35m40s).
• Foldable phones, such as those from Samsung and Google Pixel, have become high-end consumer products, with some models featuring a third screen on the front, although they come with a hefty price tag of around $2,000 (36m15s).
• The technology behind stretchable screens has the potential to open up new possibilities for wearables, such as smart jackets or bangles that can display information or provide discreet communication (36m42s).
• The integration of stretchable screens into clothing or furniture could lead to various innovative applications, including military uses for covert communication (37m35s).
• Apple's AirPods already feature a game-changing notification system, allowing users to receive and respond to messages without needing to take out their phone, and this technology could be further developed with stretchable screens (37m47s).
• The potential applications of stretchable screens are vast, including wrapping cars in flexible screens, creating loud and attention-grabbing displays (38m27s).
• LG, a South Korean company, is working on a digital flag that can be made out of a screen and display various images or messages, eliminating the need to swap out physical flags (38m47s).
• Deep Robotics has announced a new quadruped robot model with wheels, allowing it to stand upright, roll down steps, and move quickly over rough terrain, making it potentially useful for search and rescue missions or warfare (39m9s).
• The robot's design and flexibility enable it to go extremely fast, flip itself over, and lower itself for better aerodynamics, making it a potentially valuable asset in various applications (39m49s).
• The robot's capabilities could revolutionize search and rescue operations, allowing for faster and more efficient location of missing people in wilderness areas or disaster zones (40m12s).
• Deep Robotics is a company based in Hong Kong, and while most information about them is in Chinese, they have disclosed a Series B+ funding round, indicating significant investment in their technology (41m51s).
• The quadruped robot's design combines elements of advanced military technology and children's toys, making it a unique and versatile platform for various applications (41m18s).
• Mobile platforms like the quadruped robot can go out and perform tasks without being restricted by height gaps or balance issues, making them potentially useful for a wide range of applications (41m24s).
• A company from China has developed underwater drones and robot swarms, which could potentially change the way wars are fought in the future (42m2s).
• The concept of robot swarms raises questions about the impact on human casualties in warfare, with the possibility of reducing military casualties but potentially increasing civilian casualties (43m4s).
• The idea of robots fighting each other instead of humans is reminiscent of science fiction, with references to Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and Joe Haldeman's novel "The Forever War" (43m47s).
• The use of robots in warfare could potentially lead to a reduction in human casualties, but it also raises concerns about the impact on civilians and the ethics of using robots in combat (44m30s).
• The concept of remote warfare, where humans control robots or drones from a distance, is also explored in science fiction, such as in the novel "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card (44m42s).
• The idea of using technology to control robots or drones in real-time, as depicted in "Ender's Game", is also discussed in the context of the potential for instantaneous communication and control in future warfare (45m12s).

Robotics in warfare, cybersecurity, and civilian impact (45m19s)

• The development of robotics in warfare is being explored, with the goal of taking humans out of harm's way and using robots autonomously or with human direction, in order to pursue peace through strength (45m19s).
• The use of advanced technologies, such as bunker busters, can be an effective deterrent in conflicts, as it sends a strong message to adversaries (45m46s).
• Terrorist organizations have been using outdated technology, such as pagers, which can be easily intercepted and used to gather intelligence (46m19s).
• The choice of using pagers by terrorist organizations may have been due to their low-tech nature, but it ultimately proved to be a vulnerability that could be exploited (46m29s).
• Sophisticated nation-states have the capability to intercept and hack into even the most secure systems, making it difficult for individuals to maintain their privacy and security (48m21s).
• The use of robots in surgery is becoming increasingly advanced, with robots able to watch and mimic the actions of human surgeons with high precision (48m31s).
• The development of surgery robots has the potential to improve the accuracy and safety of surgical procedures, and may become a viable option for patients in the future (48m48s).

Autonomous surgical robots and science fiction predictions in AI (48m50s)

• Robots have been trained to perform surgery by watching 100 hours of footage of human surgeons, without being explicitly programmed to do so, and can even tie knots and ignore distractions, such as a screwdriver being inserted into the scene (48m50s).
• The robots were trained using footage of surgeons performing operations on fake or artificial tissue, such as a piece of chicken or plastic, and can adapt to different scenarios and types of tissue (49m0s).
• The development of robotic surgeons could lead to a future where a single, highly advanced robot can perform surgeries in multiple locations, potentially replacing human surgeons in certain procedures (50m38s).
• This technology could also be used in remote or hard-to-reach locations, such as on container ships or in areas with limited access to medical care, to provide emergency surgical care (51m36s).
• The use of robotic surgeons could democratize access to medical care and make people safer, especially in areas where doctors are not readily available (52m13s).
• The development of advanced robotics and AI could lead to the replacement of certain professions, such as surgeons, pilots, and drivers, with automated systems (51m22s).
• The film Prometheus is mentioned as a good movie that explains the origin and motivation of the Engineers, with a scene referenced where a character undergoes a manual procedure in a biopod, drawing a parallel to a real-life development at John Hopkins where a robot is learning to do surgery from videos of other surgeons (52m49s).
• The 2007 film Sunshine is discussed as a great science fiction movie about restarting the sun, with the recommendation that viewers watch it if they haven't already (53m31s).
• Klarna, a company, has filed for an IPO, which is considered a significant event, and the timing is thought to be related to the newfound business optimism, potentially linked to the expectation of less regulation under a particular administration (53m41s).

Fintech market insights: Klarna's IPO and political climate effects on valuations (54m14s)

• Klarna, a Swedish fintech giant, has filed privately to go public, following a strong financial recovery after its valuation crashed from $46 billion in 2021 to $6.7 billion in 2022 (54m55s).
• Klarna is known for its buy now, pay later (BNPL) service, but it also offers a card, a shopping app, and is moving into banking with Clara Balance (54m15s).
• The company's decision to go public may be driven by optimism and the appreciation of its competitors, such as Affirm, PayPal, and Square, in the last two weeks (55m0s).
• The fintech industry, including crypto and BNPL companies, has seen a surge in valuation, possibly due to expectations of reduced financial regulations (55m9s).
• The appreciation of fintech companies may be driven by the expectation of lower regulations, allowing them to charge higher fees and take more money (57m25s).
• Klarna's ability to go public at a higher valuation may be facilitated by the repricing of its competitors by the market, allowing it to sell for a higher price (57m40s).
• The crypto market has also seen significant appreciation, with Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, stable coins, and other developments contributing to an open door for experimentation and innovation (56m46s).
• However, there are concerns about the honesty and depth of crypto trading, including wash trading and manipulation (56m34s).
• Andreessen Horowitz has written about their crypto thesis, expressing optimism but cautioning that there is still work to be done, including the need for legislation (57m6s).
• Klarna's valuation was around $14 billion, but public comparisons would have valued the company at $5 billion or $10 billion, which may have led investors to decide against going public at that time (57m56s).
• When a company goes public, all shares convert to common shares, which can create issues if investors have protective provisions in their shares that guarantee a certain valuation or extra shares if that valuation is not met (58m10s).
• If investors bought a certain percentage of the company at a higher valuation, they may require a minimum percentage of shares when the company goes public, which can be a problem if the company's valuation is lower than expected (58m32s).
• Klarna's investors may have had to own a larger percentage of the company to maintain their investment value, which could be dilutive to other shareholders and cause a standoff (59m0s).
• The current market conditions and the election of a business-friendly candidate may have contributed to Klarna's ability to file for an IPO, but if the market declines, it may be more difficult for other companies to go public (59m55s).
• Klarna's success in cutting losses, reducing operating expenses, and achieving break-even profitability is notable, but the market conditions that allowed the company to file for an IPO may be rare and short-lived (59m37s).

Unicorn IPO challenges and influencing in the crypto market (1h0m18s)

• Unicorn companies that raised at high valuations are experiencing difficulties, being stuck in a state of "indigestion" as they try to navigate and get their "passport stamped" (1h0m19s).
• Young men are a demographic that has shown up in significant numbers in the current market, and they tend to be interested in activities such as crypto trading and online sports betting through platforms like DraftKings (1h0m43s).
• The current market euphoria, particularly among young men, is being compared to a potential mania, with people buying into cryptocurrencies like Doge and Bitcoin, as well as investing in companies like Robin Hood (1h1m5s).
• DraftKings has appreciated in value from $36 to $42 per share, but is still down on a six-month basis, and has seen an 11% increase in the last month of trading (1h1m26s).
• Bitcoin has appreciated by 24% in the last seven days, and Robin Hood's stock price has increased from $24 to $33 per share in the last 30 days (1h1m59s).
• However, there is a flip side to this market enthusiasm, with concerns about excessive speculation and risky behavior, such as people taking out high-interest loans to fund their gambling habits (1h2m9s).
• The current market frenzy is being compared to the 2021 mania, which saw the rise and fall of companies like StockX and the NFT marketplace OpenSea, as well as the Yuga Labs' Bored Ape Yacht Club (1h2m31s).

Comparison of the current market to previous manias and government efficiency (1h3m8s)

• The current market for sports betting is expected to have a longer lifespan than the NFT realm, as people have been betting on sports since ancient times, providing a connection to real-world events and entertainment value (1h3m46s).
• The NFT market, specifically the original CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club, is compared to the Tulip Mania, with the current market having more legs, but it's unclear if it will reach the same heights (1h3m28s).
• The closest thing to entertainment value in the NFT market was the concept of "drops" where items were mutated, but it lacked the same level of engagement as sports betting (1h4m6s).
• There is a cautious optimism about more people owning equities, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, with a mention of having exposure to Bitcoin through the Fidelity Bitcoin ETF (1h4m40s).
• A personal anecdote is shared about buying Bitcoin on a regular basis, only to see its value drop 10% the next day (1h4m54s).
• The understanding of presidential politics is that new administrations tend to get their major accomplishments done in the first two years, and it's unclear what the current administration will achieve in terms of crypto, immigration, and government efficiency (1h5m7s).
• A leaderboard idea is proposed to track government efficiency, with a leaderboard of people wasting money and those who identify and eliminate waste, with the goal of creating a more innovative and accountable system (1h5m40s).
• The potential impact of the current administration's policies on crypto, tariffs, and government efficiency is discussed, with the idea that taking a pro-crypto stance and stopping lawsuits could be a significant step forward (1h6m26s).
• A new Senate Majority Leader has been appointed, who is relatively anti, which may make it difficult to pass legislation through Congress, including the Doge Point, and it remains to be seen how much they are willing to make Republicans mad (1h6m35s).
• The example of the M1 Abrams tanks is given to illustrate the complexities of reducing government spending, as the Army's decision to reduce the number of tanks in storage was overruled by Congress due to local interests (1h6m50s).
• Reducing government spending is not as simple as cutting bureaucratic waste, as there are many thorny political and local issues involved, and a $2 trillion cut is a significant amount that may be difficult to achieve (1h7m21s).
• The Trump Administration's goal of reducing government wasteful spending is seen as a key issue, and it is hoped that they will succeed in this area and be known for it, rather than for mass deportations of hardworking immigrants (1h7m44s).
• There is a sense of dread and concern among many people about the concept of mass deportation, and it is unclear what impact this could have on the industry, but it is likely to affect frontline workers such as nannies, housekeepers, and restaurant workers (1h8m22s).

Impact of AI on job market, economy, and autonomous trucking (1h8m42s)

• A discussion on immigration and job loss due to AI and automation is taking place, with concerns about the impact on the labor market and the potential for massive job destruction (1h8m45s).
• The importance of being kind and loving to one's neighbor is mentioned, citing the American Christian tradition, and how the current conversation on immigration seems to be failing that test (1h9m15s).
• The Trump Administration's stance on immigration is criticized, with a quote from Steven Miller being mentioned, which is seen as vindictive and opposite to the values of America being a land of opportunity for immigrants (1h9m41s).
• The need for a compassionate and legal approach to immigration is emphasized, with the recognition that it will be a major debate in the next two years (1h10m11s).
• The potential impact of AI on jobs, including the possibility of massive job destruction, is discussed, with the example of surgeons and other professions being automated (1h10m25s).
• A theory is mentioned that suggests the export of 15 million people could lead to American companies being forced to raise wages to fill positions with Americans who are about to lose their jobs due to automation (1h11m11s).
• The example of truck drivers is used to illustrate the potential impact of automation on jobs, with the possibility of autonomous trucking leading to job losses in the profession (1h11m49s).
• The challenge of translating AI-eliminated jobs into new job opportunities for those affected, particularly in industries that have historically relied on immigrant and migrant labor, is highlighted (1h12m16s).
• There may be an extension of the current populist movement into protectionism, which could involve tariffs and increased labor costs, leading to a wage price spiral that is not popular. (1h12m28s)
• The next 10 years in the economy may be disruptive, and it is hoped that leaders will be technocratic and empathetic enough to manage change intelligently while considering the human impact. (1h12m51s)
• The goal is to see 500 million Americans in the country in 10 years, with 10 new cities that can house 15 million people each, and to grow the population dramatically. (1h13m9s)
• This growth plan is compared to a Manhattan Project, with the aim of building the number of Americans and the number of cities in a short period. (1h13m31s)
• The idea of "big America" is supported, with a focus on growing massively and being ambitious about the country's future. (1h13m43s)
• Y Combinator has released a new request for startup list, which will be discussed on the show, including handicapping ideas and talking about leading companies. (1h14m17s)