"Reid Hoffman doesn't do much in half measures. He cofounded LinkedIn, of course, and helped bankroll companies including Meta and Airbnb in their startup days. He has also fashioned himself, via books, podcasts, and other public appearances, as something of a public intellectual-a pro-capitalist philosopher who still insists that tech can be a force for good. Most recently, Hoffman has emerged as one of Silicon Valley's most prominent defenders of artificial intelligence."
"His newest book, 2025's Superagency, makes the case that AI won't diminish human capacity but will instead amplify it. In our conversation for this week's episode of The Big Interview, Hoffman readily riffed on AI's utility for pretty much everything, whether you're looking for a research assistant or a second opinion on your blood work. Hoffman even relied on AI to make one of the most unconventional-and perhaps uncomfortable, depending on your view of AI-generated creativity-Christmas gifts I've heard of lately."
"Whatever you think of Hoffman's utopian views on AI, credit where due: He's also a very outspoken critic of President Trump-a rare trait in a tech world that's grown increasingly quiet, or cozy, when it comes to the cruelties of the US administration. Hoffman's overt political views haven't been without consequence: Trump has twice threatened to launch investigations into him, most recently calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to dig into Hoffman's ties to Jeffrey Epstein."
Reid Hoffman cofounded LinkedIn and invested early in companies such as Meta and Airbnb. He presents himself as a pro-capitalist public intellectual who believes technology can serve the public good. He defends artificial intelligence and argues in Superagency that AI will amplify rather than diminish human capacity. He uses AI for tasks ranging from research assistance to interpreting medical information and even to create unconventional gifts. He is also an outspoken critic of President Trump, and has faced threats of investigations tied to his past fundraising-connected interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, for which he apologized in 2019.
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