Sep 17, 2026

The End of TCP for AI Clusters — John Ousterhout, Stanford

John Ousterhout argues that AI workloads are shifting from large data transfers to small, frequent coordination messages, making network latency (especially tail latency) a critical bottleneck. He explains why traditional protocols like TCP and RDMA are ill-suited due to sender-side congestion control and their byte-stream model. Ousterhout then introduces Homa, a new protocol designed from scratch with message-based communication, receiver-side congestion control, and switch priority queue utilization, demonstrating significant improvements in tail latency for AI applications.

Sep 16, 2026

The Search Engine for the Agentic Web — Will Bryk, Exa

Exa's CEO, William Bryk, discusses the impending AI search boom, predicting machines will soon outpace human searches dramatically. He explains Exa's evolution from a consumer search engine to an API for AI agents, driven by the realization that LLMs need external, 'perfect' retrieval to overcome the limitations of traditional search and combat societal misinformation. Exa leverages neural networks, embeddings, and customized features to provide fast, accurate, and cost-efficient information, with plans for a private data marketplace, aiming to deliver 'a year of research in a second' for AI agents and foster a deeply informed society.

Sep 14, 2026

We let an AI agent execute Bash and lived to talk about it — Sarah Sanders, PostHog

Sarah Sanders, a context engineer at PostHog, discusses the security implications of building an agentic CLI tool, "The Wizard," which automates developer workflows. She highlights the inherent risks of agents capable of executing commands, labeling it a "malware starter pack," and details how PostHog evolved its security posture from basic allow lists to a sophisticated "defense in depth." Key insights include the principle that "attacks compose, code review doesn't," the discovery of internal supply chain vulnerabilities through the "Context Mill," and the development of "The Warlock," a deterministic scanner using YARA rules. Sanders emphasizes the critical distinction between deterministic enforcement and probabilistic judgment, explaining how an LLM-powered "Triage" layer acts as an adviser (failing closed) rather than a bouncer, preserving the integrity of their security model.

Sep 11, 2026

OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra (Ep. 1026 with Jon Krohn)

Jon Krohn examines OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, its new flagship model. He delves into its state-of-the-art capabilities across computer use, coding, abstract reasoning, and scientific discovery, including its role in finding zero-day vulnerabilities. Krohn also critically analyzes the AGI claims surrounding Astra, comparing its performance and safety features with competitors like Anthropic's Fable 5.1, offering a balanced perspective on its significance.

Sep 09, 2026

The Universal Remote Control for AI — Alex Hancock, Block

Alex Hancock discusses the need for a standardized protocol for client-to-agent communication in AI, similar to how MCP standardizes agent-to-tool interaction. He introduces the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), born from Zed and JetBrains, as a JSON RPC-based solution for client software to control agent harnesses, send tasks, and receive updates. Hancock demonstrates ACP's flexibility with multiple clients driving a single agent and highlights how its new remote transport capability, combined with MCP and model APIs, enables independent placement of all agentic stack components, fostering a competitive ecosystem that will significantly enhance user experience.

Sep 08, 2026

Why 95% of All AI Projects Fail - Boris Scharinger | Podcast #174

Boris Scharinger, Industrial AI Strategist at Siemens and author of "Industrial AI: From Pilot to Profit," discusses why 95% of AI proofs of concept fail in industrial settings. He highlights the 5-10x cost multiplier from pilot to production, the critical role of the "harness" around AI models, and the unique challenges of data access and legacy systems in physical environments. Scharinger advocates for a two-tiered investment strategy, separating foundational data capabilities from use-case-specific ROI, and addresses cultural resistances from engineers. He provides guidance on differentiating commodity from strategic AI applications and how to effectively scale industrial AI for profit.