a16z|Oct 30, 2025 14:32
“Is there an AI bubble?” Gavin Baker and David George
In this conversation from a16z’s Runtime conference, Gavin Baker, Managing Partner and CIO of Atreides Management, joins David George, General Partner at a16z, to unpack the macro view of AI: the trillion-dollar data center buildout, the new economics of GPUs, and what this boom means for investors, founders, and the global economy.
They discuss how this cycle compares to the dot-com era, why “there are no dark GPUs,” and what makes today’s infrastructure spending different from past bubbles. Gavin explains why he believes we’re still early in the AI supercycle, the changing margins in SaaS and software, and how business models and consumer interfaces are being rewritten in real time.
00:00 Intro
01:02 Are we in an AI Bubble?
02:41 Dark fiber vs. “no dark GPUs”
05:07 ROI on AI: Why this time is different
08:36 Round-tripping deals
12:22 The application layer: It’s still early
15:24 Margins, scaling laws
23:26 Reasoning models and the flywheel
27:18 The future of business models
29:41 Robotics and Elon’s Optimus vision
@GavinSBaker @DavidGeorge83(a16z)
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