E103: Byrne Hobart on What The First AI Agents Will Do + China, Google Analysis

"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

This week on Upstream, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg discuss the potential of AI agents in tech support, economic impacts of passive investing, historical financial strategies of Warren Buffett, and the implications of tariffs and technological developments in national wealth.

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co

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X / TWITTER:

@byrnehobart

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

• AI is most effectively being deployed first in customer service where outcomes can be clearly measured and tracked.
• Return on Equity (ROE) has become less relevant in modern markets where companies can easily raise capital and buy back shares.
• Google has evolved from being criticized for sitting on cash to making aggressive investments in innovation, as demonstrated by Waymo.
• Tariffs function as a transfer mechanism from consumers to workers, potentially helping build strategic industries despite some economic inefficiency.
• While passive investing continues to grow, there will always be a cyclical role for active trading to enable price discovery and market making.
• Meme coins and app-based stock trading represent newer forms of gambling that might be more socially beneficial than traditional sports betting.
• A new book reveals Buffett's early investment strategy combined detailed research methods with an evolution from pure value investing to investing in quality companies.