Reid Hoffman doesn’t do a lot in half measures. He cofounded LinkedIn, after all, and helped bankroll firms together with Meta and Airbnb of their startup days. He has additionally usual himself, by way of books, podcasts, and different public appearances, as one thing of a public mental—a pro-capitalist thinker who nonetheless insists that tech could be a pressure for good.
Most just lately, Hoffman has emerged as considered one of Silicon Valley’s most distinguished defenders of artificial intelligence. His latest guide, 2025’s Superagency, makes the case that AI gained’t diminish human capability however will as an alternative amplify it. In our dialog for this week’s episode of The Big Interview, Hoffman readily riffed on AI’s utility for just about every part, whether or not you’re searching for a analysis assistant or a second opinion on your blood work. Hoffman even relied on AI to make considered one of the most unconventional—and maybe uncomfortable, relying on your view of AI-generated creativity—Christmas items I’ve heard of these days. (And no, he didn’t get me one.)
No matter you consider Hoffman’s utopian views on AI, credit score the place due: He’s additionally a really outspoken critic of President Trump—a uncommon trait in a tech world that’s grown more and more quiet, or cozy, when it comes to the cruelties of the US administration. Hoffman’s overt political opinions haven’t been with out consequence: Trump has twice threatened to launch investigations into him, most just lately calling on Legal professional Common Pam Bondi to dig into Hoffman’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (In 2019, Hoffman apologized for his mid-2010s relationship with Epstein, which he says associated solely to fundraising for MIT. He has subsequently known as for the authorities to launch the Epstein files in full.)
Regardless of these threats, Hoffman isn’t pulling punches: After we sat down to tape this episode in mid-December, he readily known as out the administration for degrading American authorities, criticized his friends for retaining their heads down, and urged Silicon Valley to cease pretending that neutrality is a advantage. If solely extra billionaires had been saying it.
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
KATIE DRUMMOND: Reid Hoffman, welcome to The Large Interview. So glad to have you ever right here.
REID HOFFMAN: I am glad to be right here.
We like to begin these conversations with some very quick questions. Little warm-up. Are you prepared?
Nice!
Voice memo or textual content message?
Textual content message.
Cooperative video games or aggressive video games?
Cooperative video games.
The largest distinction between you and Elon Musk?
Sanity.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve ever had to study?
Oh gosh, there’s an entire lot. Most likely when to quit.
Who do you would like would run for president in 2028?
Sanity.
Sanity for president.
Sure, precisely. You realize, it is humorous, I most likely cannot give a great reply to that query. I imply, the folks I’d need to run for president most likely will not.
Oh, that is too unhealthy.
Sure.
You’ll be able to’t say their names?
Since I’ve tried to persuade them to achieve this, I believe it is most likely rude.
I am fascinated. Subsequent time we discuss, I am going to pressure you to inform me. What is your one, private, killer use case for AI?
Properly, I simply generated a vacation Christmas album as my Christmas reward for all my pals.
I assume all of them know that it’s AI generated music?
Sure. And it is on data. We put it on data.
So it is from your coronary heart into the AI …
Sure.
… to their Christmas tree.
I’ve at all times had this need to have Christmas music that has irony in addition to affection for the vacation. So, there is a track on ugly sweaters and, , all of this kinda stuff. As opposed to the “holly, jolly Christmas,” , one thing that really has some humor. Virtually like what “Bizarre Al” Yankovic would do if he was doing a Christmas album.
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