Episode

Samo Burja on Growth, Energy, and AI

Podcast: The a16z Show
Published: Jun 12, 2026
Duration seconds: 1671
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Summary

Theo Jaffee speaks with Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis, about AI, industrial capacity, economic growth, and the institutions that shape civilization. The conversation explores how AI’s demand for compute, energy, and infrastructure could trigger a new wave of industrial expansion, benefiting sectors far beyond technology. Burja argues that AI is not just a software story but a demand shock that will ripple through energy, manufacturing, construction, and global supply chains. They also discuss China and the United States, demographic decline, fertility, state capacity, welfare systems, and the political economy of automation. Along the way, Burja shares his views on functional institutions, economic growth, and why societies that can effectively organize people and resources may have an enduring advantage in the AI era.