The State of Consumer Tech in the Age of AI

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

June 6, 2025

Duration

43m

Channel

a16z

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this episode, a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg is joined by the a16z Consumer team—General Partner Anish Acharya and Partners Olivia Moore, Justine Moore, and Bryan Kim—for a conversation on the current state (and future) of consumer tech. They unpack why it feels like breakout consumer apps have slowed down, how AI is changing the game, and what might define the next era of products. Topics include:

• The rise of AI-native consumer tools and companion apps
• Why users are now spending $200+/month on AI products
• The missing AI-powered social graph
• Why speed and iteration may matter more than traditional moats
• And what it means to build for a world where software touches everything

From shifting business models to new behavior patterns, this is your pulse check on where we are—and where consumer is heading next. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction to Consumer AI 00:28 The Evolution of Consumer Breakouts 03:18 The Shift in Consumer Spending 08:00 The Future of Social Networks with AI 13:00 Enterprise Adoption of AI 20:42 The Rise of Voice Technology 23:06 AI's Role in Enterprise Conversations 25:25 AI in Education and Personal Development 26:34 AI Companions: The New Norm 31:52 The Future of AI Companions 38:50 Speculating on New AI Platforms 42:07 The Social Norms of AI Integration Resources: Find Anish on X: https://x.com/illscience Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins Find Bryan on X: https://x.com/kirbyman01 Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Justine Moore

  guest

  a16z investor focused on consumer tech and AI applications.

• Bryan Kim

  guest

  a16z investor focused on consumer technology and software.

• Anish Acharya

  guest

  a16z general partner focused on software and AI, including voice/communication paradigms.

• Erik Torenberg

  host

  host at a16z who moderates and interviews guests on technology and startups.

• Olivia Moore

  guest

  a16z investor focused on consumer products and social/internet behaviors.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Justine Moore and Bryan Kim, The State of Consumer Tech in the Age of AI explores aI reshapes consumer tech: spending, social, voice, companions, platforms ahead Recent consumer “breakouts” haven’t disappeared so much as shifted into AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and ElevenLabs that lack classic social-network dynamics but show massive adoption and monetization.

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