ENDEAVOR


This conversation took place at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture in San Francisco, California, during the 2024 Endeavor Catalyst Investor Meeting—an annual gathering of LPs and Endeavor Entrepreneurs to explore innovations and trends shaping global venture capital.

Reid Hoffman, a leading figure in Silicon Valley, co-founder of LinkedIn, and Endeavor Global Board Member, introduced himself in a prerecorded video ahead of a fireside chat at our annual investor meeting. Except it wasn’t really Reid.

“I’m not the real Reid Hoffman,” the recording said. “I’m Reid AI, Reid’s digital twin. I’m a custom chatbot built on GPT 4 and trained on 20 years of Reid’s content. Kind of cool and kind of strange. AI is moving at an astounding pace with new breakthroughs every day. But I know you’re here for the real deal.”

Reid used commercially-available technology to build his AI twin with the intent of showing that anyone can do what he did right now. In the chat recorded below with Joanna Rees, managing partner at West, the real Reid spoke about the potential of this world-altering technology.

Takeaways

NEW JOBS, NOT NO JOBS: AI may do some jobs, like driving trucks or customer service, better than their human counterparts. But this isn’t a call for mass lay-offs; instead, we should be using AI to discover, explore, and train people with new skillsets for new roles.

• PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS: Other jobs, like screenwriting or medical professions, may work best in partnership with AI: “Would I rather have my radiology film read by an AI or by an average doctor?” Reid asks, and answers: “I’d rather have it by an AI, but that’s a false choice. I’d rather have it read by an AI and a doctor. That would be much better.”

• FACE TO (NOT) FACE: Making an AI clone of yourself is profound. It offers a myriad of possibilities, from self-reflection to reaching a diverse group of other people and speaking to them directly — in their own languages.

• THE ARMS RACE TO IDENTITY: We need to build a technology layer for identity and provenance… and we need to be prepared to keep up with threats to that layer, because people will continue to hack it. In the meantime, we need to train people that on the Web 3.0: seeing is not believing!

• THE COGNITIVE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Like its predecessor, the Industrial Revolution, embracing AI and using it effectively will have profound global and political consequences. Which societies and countries will rise with AI?

Watch the full interview for the entirety of Reid and Joanna’s conversation, including further thoughts on the role of governance and regulation, the commercial-driven nature of the AI revolution, and the value of taking on the contrarian role. And thank you to Reid and Joanna for this inspiring and incisive discussion!

EXPLORE MORE

The Endeavor Catalyst Investor Meeting was more than just a gathering—it brought together investors and founders to shape the future of global venture capital. Through engaging panels, our partners and Endeavor Entrepreneurs shared insights, explored emerging trends, and debated innovations set to redefine venture capital beyond Silicon Valley.

Here’s a look back at the conversations reshaping the global landscape.

Featured Stories


Endeavor Catalyst’s top 10 predictions for global venture capital in 2025
Endeavor Catalyst’s top 10 predictions for global venture capital in 2025
ENDEAVOR CATALYST

Riding the Black Swan: Why Entrepreneurship Is Even More Important in Crisis-prone Regions
Riding the Black Swan: Why Entrepreneurship Is Even More Important in Crisis-prone Regions
YANA EL DIRANI

The founder behind Africa’s first $680M+ AI Startup
The founder behind Africa’s first $680M+ AI Startup
ENDEAVOR

State of VC: Our 2024 Mid-Year Snapshots From Across The World

The 2024 Midas list is the most global in history as venture capital success grows beyond the US
The 2024 Midas list is the most global in history as venture capital success grows beyond the US
ALLEN TAYLOR

Related Articles


Endeavor Catalyst’s top 10 predictions for global venture capital in 2025
Endeavor Catalyst’s top 10 predictions for global venture capital in 2025
Riding the Black Swan: Why Entrepreneurship Is Even More Important in Crisis-prone Regions
Riding the Black Swan: Why Entrepreneurship Is Even More Important in Crisis-prone Regions
The founder behind Africa’s first $680M+ AI Startup
The founder behind Africa’s first $680M+ AI Startup
State of VC: Our 2024 Mid-Year Snapshots From Across The World
State of VC: Our 2024 Mid-Year Snapshots From Across The World