本·霍洛维茨 (Ben Horowitz) 反思了风险投资行业发生的重大转型，这在很大程度上归功于他和马克·安德森 (Marc Andreessen)。他们的公司 a16z 已经达到了前所未有的机构规模，远超传统风险投资“小而精的利基市场”的范畴。霍洛维茨更宏大的使命是影响国家的发展轨迹，而不仅仅是特定的市场领域。 他对 2026 年的美国持乐观态度，强调其拥有健康的科技行业、强大的竞争力和杰出的创业文化，这与欧洲的监管障碍以及在重视成功方面的文化挑战形成了对比。他认为，由于刺激措施、更低的能源价格、放松管制以及用户友好的税法，美国经济比人们普遍认为的要强劲。然而，最关键的因素是人工智能。霍洛维茨将人工智能视为一个通用问题解决者，能够解决从工程到医疗保健等几乎所有问题，并且由于现有的互联网基础设施能够实现快速部署，预计在 12-24 个月内将产生广泛影响。 霍洛维茨指出，政策是这种积极发展轨迹的最大威胁，他引用了委内瑞拉和共产主义国家摧毁繁荣国家的历史案例。他主张采用基于技术的解决方案，而非政策解决方案，因为后者通常会带来意想不到的负面后果（例如，新冠疫情封锁，“削减警察经费”运动）。 人工智能正在重塑投资机会。虽然现有的软件巨头难以撼动，但人工智能使得“自己动手”变得更容易，从而导致新兴人工智能公司收入增长更快，并可能开拓更大的市场。公司建设的“物理法则”已经改变，资本、数据和 GPU 可以迅速创建具有竞争力的模型，挑战了传统的缓慢增长模式。这导致了对顶尖人工智能研究人员的强烈需求，这种稀缺性是来自学术界的技术人员通常不曾遇到的。 关于不平等问题，霍洛维茨承认存在“科比·布莱恩特效应”，即通过互联网和人工智能的全球影响力可以放大个人财富。然而，他也将人工智能视为一种民主化工具，可以在每部智能手机中提供“超级智能”，为所有人提供高级教育。他借鉴父亲的智慧（“生活是不公平的”）告诫人们，试图强制实现公平的制度往往会集中权力。相反，他强调为所有人提供 *机会*。他驳斥了由于人工智能而产生“永久底层阶级”的观点，认为新技术历来都能倍增机会并创造出意想不到的就业岗位，他援引了劳动力市场的不可预测性来支持这一观点。 霍洛维茨对 a16z 的抱负深受导师安迪·格鲁夫 (Andy Grove) 哲学的影响：行业领导者必须扩大市场。正如美国曾引领工业革命一样，a16z 的目标是确保下一波伟大的科技公司源自美国，从而维护其经济、军事和文化影响力。这涉及适应不断变化的资本市场，并支持投资组合公司在超越初期增长阶段后继续发展。 他认为公司的文化不是由陈词滥调定义的，而是由 *行动* 定义的。对 a16z 而言，这意味着具体的行为规范，例如从不迟到创始人会议、透明地解释投资拒绝原因，以及禁止任何贬低创业者的行为。这种对文化的强烈关注对于一个正在扩张的组织至关重要。 霍洛维茨分享了对他产生影响的人和事，包括他的父亲。他父亲曾是一名共产主义者，教导他共产主义的失败之处（专注于分配而非创造财富）以及生活固有的不公平。他目前正被人工智能对编码、好莱坞（让电影更好更便宜）和音乐（实现了类似早期嘻哈的“后后现代艺术”）的影响所吸引和启发。他将说唱歌手 Nas 视为重要的个人影响，钦佩其独特的视角和讲故事的天赋。 他使命的一个具体例子是与拉斯维加斯警察局的合作。他强调该局独特的结构（民选警长、社区警务）是技术应用的沃土。通过资助无人机项目、人工智能摄像头和增强型 911 系统等举措，该部门的犯罪率下降了 50%，警察枪击事件减少了 75%，这使得警务工作更安全，并恢复了警员的自豪感。 霍洛维茨最后分享道，对他而言，别人做过的最善良的事情是肯·科尔曼 (Ken Coleman) 给了他一个暑期实习机会，这为他打开了通往硅谷的大门，并塑造了他整个职业生涯。

Ben Horowitz reflects on the significant transformation of the venture capital industry, largely attributed to him and Marc Andreessen. Their firm, a16z, has achieved an unprecedented institutional scale, far beyond venture's traditional "small, tiny niche." Horowitz's broader mission extends to impacting the country's trajectory, not just specific market segments. He offers an optimistic view of the US in 2026, highlighting a healthy tech sector, strong competitiveness, and outstanding entrepreneurship culture, contrasting it with Europe's regulatory hurdles and cultural challenges regarding valuing success. He believes the US economy is stronger than perceived due to stimulus, lower energy prices, reduced regulation, and a user-friendly tax code. The most significant factor, however, is AI. Horowitz sees AI as a universal problem-solver, capable of addressing nearly every issue, from engineering to healthcare, with widespread impact expected within 12-24 months due to existing internet infrastructure enabling rapid deployment. Horowitz identifies policy as the biggest threat to this positive trajectory, citing historical examples like Venezuela and communist states that ruined prosperous nations. He advocates for technology-based solutions over policy solutions, which often have unintended negative consequences (e.g., COVID lockdowns, "Defund the Police"). AI is reshaping investment opportunities. While existing software giants are hard to dislodge, AI makes it easier to "DIY," leading to faster revenue growth for new AI companies and potentially larger markets. The "laws of physics" for company building have changed, where capital, data, and GPUs can rapidly create competitive models, challenging traditional slow growth. This has led to an intense demand for top AI researchers, a scarcity not typically seen for technologists coming from academia. Regarding inequality, Horowitz acknowledges the "Kobe Bryant effect," where global reach via the internet and AI can amplify individual wealth. However, he also views AI as a democratizer, providing "super intelligence" in every smartphone, offering advanced education to all. Drawing on his father's wisdom ("life isn't fair"), he cautions against systems that attempt to enforce fairness, as they often concentrate power. Instead, he emphasizes providing *opportunity* for all. He dismisses the idea of a "permanent underclass" due to AI, arguing that new technologies historically multiply opportunities and create unforeseen jobs, citing the unpredictable nature of labor markets. Horowitz's ambition for a16z is shaped by mentor Andy Grove's philosophy: industry leaders must expand the market. Just as America led the industrial revolution, a16z aims to ensure the next wave of great technology companies originates in the US, maintaining its economic, military, and cultural influence. This involves adapting to evolving capital markets and supporting portfolio companies as they scale beyond initial growth stages. He defines a firm's culture not by platitudes, but by *actions*. For a16z, this means specific behaviors like never being late for a founder meeting, transparently explaining investment rejections, and prohibiting any behavior that denigrates entrepreneurs. This intense focus on culture is crucial for a scaling organization. Horowitz shares personal influences, including his father, a former communist, who taught him about the failures of communism (focused on dividing, not creating wealth) and the inherent unfairness of life. He is currently captivated and inspired by AI's impact on coding, Hollywood (making movies better and cheaper), and music (enabling "post-postmodern art" akin to early hip-hop). He credits rapper Nas as a significant personal influence, admiring his unique perspective and storytelling genius. A tangible example of his mission is his work with the Las Vegas Police Department. He highlights their unique structure (elected sheriff, community policing) as a fertile ground for technological application. By funding initiatives like drone programs, AI cameras, and enhanced 911 systems, the department has seen a 50% drop in crime and a 75% reduction in police shootings, making policing safer and restoring pride among officers. Horowitz concludes by sharing that the kindest thing anyone ever did for him was Ken Coleman giving him a summer internship, which opened the door to Silicon Valley and shaped his entire career.