20VC: Scale's Alex Wang on Why Data Not Compute is the Bottleneck to Foundation Model Performance, Why AI is the Greatest Military Asset Ever, Is China Really Two Years Behind the US in AI and Why the CCPs Industrial Approach is Better than Anyone Else's
This podcast episode explores the challenges and advancements in AI models, focusing on the importance of the three pillars of AI progress: compute, algorithms, and data. It discusses the concept of a "data wall" and the need for frontier data to overcome it. The episode also examines the ability to solve reasoning and the impact of data in AI models. It highlights the significance of data contribution to AI models and the competition between AI models. The episode delves into the potential reversion back to on-prem models and the importance of enterprise data as a competitive differentiator. It discusses the comparison between software companies and media companies and the potential future structure of engineering teams. The episode explores the significance of data regulations, the progress of China in AI, and the potential impact of AI technology on the geopolitical environment. It also discusses the future of AI models and the foundation model race. The episode concludes with discussions on the challenges of pure communication, the difference in incentives between media and Congress, and the challenges of hyper growth in organizations.
