Key Takeaways
- • Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), said in a recent podcast that venture capital may be one of the last fields people still work in as AI automates other jobs, according to Fortune.
- • Andreessen argues that venture capital is less about picking investments, which AI may eventually do better, and more about psychological judgment and relationships with founders and the broader market.
- • Andreessen said he does not want to be definitive, but that the job may be "quite literally timeless" once AI is doing most other work.
- • The commentary comes as employers increasingly plan AI-driven headcount reductions, with the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs report citing 40% of employers planning cuts where AI can automate tasks.
Summary
Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), founded in 2009, has predicted that venture capital may be among the few jobs to survive the rise of AI automation, according to Fortune, which reported on remarks he made in a recent podcast. Andreessen attributed the durability of the role to its intangible components, describing it as more art than science and emphasizing psychological assessment of founders, including how they perform under pressure and how to keep them from falling apart.
Andreessen acknowledged that AI may become better at selecting investments. He countered that "picking is the small part of the game," arguing that much of a venture firm's value lies in its relationships, since building a company requires extensive networks. He stopped short of a firm forecast, saying, "I don't want to be definitive," but suggested the role could be "quite literally timeless" and among the last fields people continue to work in once AI handles most other tasks.
The remarks come amid growing employer interest in AI-driven workforce reductions. Fortune cited a World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report forecasting that 40% of employers plan to reduce headcount in areas where AI can automate tasks, with disruption expected in information processing, customer service and basic analytics over the next five years. Fortune also pointed to executives who have spoken openly about this shift: Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, who told staff that teams must show why they cannot get work done using AI before requesting headcount, and Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, whose company's AI chatbot reportedly performs the work of 700 customer service agents. At Big Tech firms, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI writes around 30% of the company's code, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted AI could write more than half of Meta's code within a year.
Andreessen acknowledged that AI may become better at selecting investments. He countered that "picking is the small part of the game," arguing that much of a venture firm's value lies in its relationships, since building a company requires extensive networks. He stopped short of a firm forecast, saying, "I don't want to be definitive," but suggested the role could be "quite literally timeless" and among the last fields people continue to work in once AI handles most other tasks.
The remarks come amid growing employer interest in AI-driven workforce reductions. Fortune cited a World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report forecasting that 40% of employers plan to reduce headcount in areas where AI can automate tasks, with disruption expected in information processing, customer service and basic analytics over the next five years. Fortune also pointed to executives who have spoken openly about this shift: Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, who told staff that teams must show why they cannot get work done using AI before requesting headcount, and Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, whose company's AI chatbot reportedly performs the work of 700 customer service agents. At Big Tech firms, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI writes around 30% of the company's code, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted AI could write more than half of Meta's code within a year.
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