No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

Conviction
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No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups

At this moment of inflection in technology, co-hosts Elad Gil and Sarah Guo talk to the world's leading AI engineers, researchers and founders about the biggest questions: How far away is AGI? What markets are at risk for disruption? How will commerce, culture, and society change? What’s happening in state-of-the-art in research? “No Priors” is your guide to the AI revolution. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com. Sarah Guo is a startup investor and the founder of Conviction, an investment firm purpose-built to serve intelligent software, or "Software 3.0" companies. She spent nearly a decade incubating and investing at venture firm Greylock Partners. Elad Gil is a serial entrepreneur and a startup investor. He was co-founder of Color Health, Mixer Labs (which was acquired by Twitter). He has invested in over 40 companies now worth $1B or more each, and is also author of the High Growth Handbook.

  1. 3D AGO

    O3 and the Next Leap in Reasoning with OpenAI’s Eric Mitchell and Brandon McKinzie

    This week on No Priors, Elad and Sarah sit down with Eric Mitchell and Brandon McKinzie, two of the minds behind OpenAI’s O3 model. They discuss what makes O3 unique, including its focus on reasoning, the role of reinforcement learning, and how tool use enables more powerful interactions. The conversation explores the unification of model capabilities, what the next generation of human-AI interfaces could look like, and how models will continue to advance in the years ahead. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @mckbrando | @ericmitchellai Show Notes: 0:00 What is o3? 3:21 Reinforcement learning in o3 4:44 Unification of models 8:56 Why tool use helps test time scaling 11:10 Deep research 16:00 Future ways to interact with models 22:03 General purpose vs specialized models 25:30 Simulating AI interacting with the world 29:36 How will models advance?

    39 min

  2. APR 24

    Inside Deep Research with Isa Fulford: Building the Future of AI Agents

    On this episode of No Priors, Sarah sits down with Isa Fulford, one of the masterminds behind deep research. They unpack how the initiative began, the role of human expert data, and what it takes to build agents with real-world capability and even taste. Isa shares the differences between deep research and OpenAI’s o3 model, the challenges around latency, and how she sees agent capabilities evolving. Plus, OpenAI has announced that deep research is free for all US users starting today. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @IsaFulf Show Notes: 0:00 Deep research’s inception & evolution 6:12 Data creation  7:20 Reinforcement fine-tuning 9:05 Why human expert data matters 11:23 Failure modes of agents 13:55 The roadmap ahead for Deep Research 18:32 How do agents develop taste?  19:29 Experience and path to building a broadly capable agent 22:03 Deep research vs. o3 25:55 Latency 27:56 Predictions for agent capabilities

    31 min

  3. APR 17

    Predicting the Earth with Josh Goldman: How KoBold Uses AI to Find Critical Minerals

    This week on No Priors, Sarah and Elad are joined by Josh Goldman, cofounder and president of KoBold Metals. KoBold is using AI to transform how we discover critical minerals like lithium and cobalt, making the exploration process faster, more precise, and more scalable than traditional methods. In this episode, Josh explains how KoBold is rethinking the fundamentals of mineral exploration by combining unique datasets, scientific modeling, and predictive algorithms. They dive into the company’s driving philosophy and technical approach, how they validate underground hypotheses, and why regulatory knowledge and a localized approach are crucial. Josh also discusses what success looks like in exploration today and the scarcity of world-class deposits. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @KoBold_Metals Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 0:29 KoBold Metals 3:14 Using unique datasets 6:20 Traditional methods of lithium exploration 8:38 Regulatory vs. rarity constraints 13:40 Technical approach 16:25 Validating hypotheses 23:56 Redefining success in mineral exploration 25:44 Scarcity of good projects and deposits 32:44 Philosophy behind prediction 36:46 KoBold’s origin story

    41 min

  4. APR 10

    From Job Displacement to AI Trainers, Brendan Foody on Work in the AI Age

    On this episode of No Priors, Sarah and Elad sit down with Brendan Foody, CEO and cofounder of Mercor, to discuss the company’s rapid growth and their vision for the future of the labor market. They dive into how AI is reshaping the workforce in real, tangible ways and what skills are worth investing in today. Brendan shares insights on evaluating talent in an AI-driven world, including how models might identify outlier or 10x candidates and even assess “taste.” The conversation also touches on the evolving role of human data, the future of hiring in fast-scaling startups, and whether AI will act as an individual contributor or a data-centric manager. Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 0:16 Building Mercor 3:00 Identifying outlier talent with AI 9:07 How AI is reshaping the workforce: job displacement & evolution 11:18 What skills should we invest in now? 12:18 Verifiability 13:36 Evaluating models 16:07 What should kids learn today? 17:05 Evaluating taste in talent assessments 18:45 Future of data collection 26:07 Humans’ role in the AI economy 28:53 AI as a contributor vs. a manager 33:03 Mercor’s goals  34:50 Evolution of labor markets  36:00 Hiring advice

    42 min

  5. APR 3

    Public Markets, Image Gen, and Specialized Models, with Sarah and Elad

    In this episode of No Priors, Sarah and Elad examine the current state of AI. They break down the recent dip in public markets, how tariffs could impact the tech industry, and where opportunities remain in large language models. They highlight the opportunities in more specialized models, new approaches to model development, and how the market is beginning to standardize with integrations like the Model Context Protocol (MCP). The episode ends with a look at early consumer AI applications and what types of expertise will matter most in the coming years. Show Notes: 0:00 Improvements in image gen 4:42 Public markets  8:08 Effects of tariffs on tech 9:42 Today’s large model market 11:34 Opportunities in specialized models 16:30 Research advances in model approaches 21:10 What expertise will matter? 24:30 Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol  26:30 Consumer applications

    28 min

  6. MAR 27

    Conversations Are the Source of Truth in Healthcare with Abridge CEO Shiv Rao

    In this episode of No Priors, Elad and Sarah chat with Shiv Rao, MD, founder and CEO of Abridge. They dive into how Abridge is reshaping healthcare by creating AI tools that enhance clinical documentation and improve doctor-patient interactions. Shiv shares his thoughts on building trust with established healthcare systems, giving agency and time back to clinicians, and what makes the healthcare AI opportunity different today. They also discuss Abridge’s approach to developing and launching AI products, along with Shiv’s journey in founding Abridge. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @ShivdevRao Show Notes:  0:00 Introduction  0:35 Abridge’s Story and Vision  5:30 Strategy for Customer Choice  7:41 Healthcare AI Opportunities  11:24 Navigating Incumbent Partnerships  14:26 Doctor-Centric AI Solutions  19:54 Abridge’s Future Plans  22:13 AI’s Impact on Healthcare  28:43 Shipping and Iterating Products  32:50 Shiv’s Journey to Abridge

    39 min

  7. MAR 20

    The Robotics Revolution, with Physical Intelligence’s Cofounder Chelsea Finn

    This week on No Priors, Elad speaks with Chelsea Finn, cofounder of Physical Intelligence and currently Associate Professor at Stanford, leading the Intelligence through Learning and Interaction Lab. They dive into how robots learn, the challenges of training AI models for the physical world, and the importance of diverse data in reaching generalizable intelligence. Chelsea explains the evolving landscape of open-source vs. closed-source robotics and where AI models are likely to have the biggest impact first. They also compare the development of robotics to self-driving cars, explore the future of humanoid and non-humanoid robots, and discuss what’s still missing for AI to function effectively in the real world. If you’re curious about the next phase of AI beyond the digital space, this episode is a must-listen. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @ChelseaFinn Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 0:31 Chelsea’s background in robotics 3:10 Physical Intelligence  5:13 Defining their approach and model architecture 7:39 Reaching generalizability and diversifying robot data 9:46 Open source vs. closed source 12:32 Where will PI’s models integrate first? 14:34 Humanoid as a form factor 16:28 Embodied intelligence 17:36 Key turning points in robotics progress 20:05 Hierarchical interactive robot and decision-making 22:21 Choosing data inputs 26:25 Self driving vs robotics market 28:37 Advice to robotics founders 29:24 Observational data and data generation 31:57 Future robotic forms

    35 min

  8. MAR 13

    Copilot, Agent Mode, and the New World of Dev Tools with GitHub’s CEO Thomas Dohmke

    This week on No Priors, Sarah and Elad talk with GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke about the rise of AI-powered software development and the success of Copilot. They discuss how Copilot is reshaping the developer workflow, GitHub’s new Agent Mode, and competition in the developer tooling market. They also explore how AI-driven coding impacts software pricing, the future of open source vs. proprietary APIs, and what Copilot’s success means for Microsoft. Plus, Thomas shares insights from his journey growing up in East Berlin and navigating rapidly changing worlds. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @ThomasDohmke Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 0:37 GitHub Copilot’s capabilities 4:12 Will agents replace developers? 6:04 Copilot’s development cycle 8:34 Winning the developer market 10:40 Agent mode 13:25 Where GitHub is headed 16:45 Building for the new challenges of AI 21:50 Dev tools market formation 29:56 Copilot’s broader impact 32:17 How AI changes software pricing 39:16 Open source vs. proprietary APIs 48:01 Growing up in East Berlin

    51 min
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About

At this moment of inflection in technology, co-hosts Elad Gil and Sarah Guo talk to the world's leading AI engineers, researchers and founders about the biggest questions: How far away is AGI? What markets are at risk for disruption? How will commerce, culture, and society change? What’s happening in state-of-the-art in research? “No Priors” is your guide to the AI revolution. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com. Sarah Guo is a startup investor and the founder of Conviction, an investment firm purpose-built to serve intelligent software, or "Software 3.0" companies. She spent nearly a decade incubating and investing at venture firm Greylock Partners. Elad Gil is a serial entrepreneur and a startup investor. He was co-founder of Color Health, Mixer Labs (which was acquired by Twitter). He has invested in over 40 companies now worth $1B or more each, and is also author of the High Growth Handbook.

Information

  • Creator
    Conviction
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 Conviction. All Rights Reserved.

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