AI Just Gave You Superpowers — Now What?

A hot paper — "Some Simple Economics of AGI" — has been making the rounds, so we sat down with the author, covering:  Automation vs. verification: the key economic split  Why AI agents now feel like coworkers - What's happening to junior roles and the “codifier’s curse”  The “AI sandwich” structure for firms  The value of "meaning-makers," consensus, and status economies  Why crypto may become essential infrastructure for identity, provenance, and trust  Two possible futures: a hollow vs. augmented economy  Featuring Christian Catalini (founder of MIT Crypto Economics Lab) and Eddy Lazzarin (CTO of a16z crypto) in conversation with Robert Hackett, our discussion dives deep into how automation is reshaping labor markets, as well as the nature of intelligence.  What do these changes mean for startups, the future of work, and your career?  Highlights  00:00 Introduction  01:47 AGI economics optimism and playbook  05:39 Agents as coworkers  07:39 Software work becomes verification  10:47 Automation versus verification  12:03 "Unknown unknowns" and taste  16:27 Human augmentation and intent  17:55 The "AI Sandwich" and "Codifier's Curse"  21:54 "Meaning-makers" and the human touch  23:48 Crypto for identity and trust?  27:10 Measurability: How to think about it  33:23 Machine coordination and art after automation  35:46 Trojan horse risks  37:47 Liability and insurance  41:08 Crypto and verification  44:31 A hollow vs. augmented economy  49:45 Career advice in the AI era  51:26 The one-person billion-dollar startup  57:15 Open-source as antibodies  58:42 Blockchains for coordination  01:01:49 Closing thoughts  Follow a16z crypto for more...  X: https://x.com/a16zcrypto  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a16zcrypto/posts/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@a16zcrypto  📩 Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/  ***  As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.