The Race for AI—Search, National Infrastructure, & On-Device AI

The AI race is on, and 2025 could be its most transformative year yet.

In this episode, a16z General Partners Anjney Midha and Jennifer Li, and Partner Alex Immerman dive into the trends reshaping AI and its impact on search, infrastructure, and devices.

We explore:

• How AI-native tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are challenging Google’s search dominance.
• The rise of infrastructure independence as governments prioritize compute, energy, and data.
• The future of smaller, on-device AI models driving privacy, performance, and new consumer applications.

With insights from a16z’s Growth and Infrastructure teams, this episode unpacks the forces driving AI innovation—and the opportunities founders and nations could seize to lead in the next wave of technology.

Stay tuned for more in this four-part series, and explore the full 50 Big Ideas for 2025 at a16z.com/bigideas.

Resources: 

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/aleximm

FInd Anjney on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha

FInd Jennifer on X: https://x.com/JenniferHli

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.