
A rational conversation on where AI is actually going | Benedict Evans
From Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth by Lenny Rachitsky
May 31, 2026 · 1h 20m
About this episode
Benedict Evans discusses the current state and future of AI, comparing its significance to the internet and mobile technologies.
Benedict Evans is an independent analyst and former partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he spent years as their in-house “thinker” tracking the most important technology trends. For the past six years, he’s been publishing deeply researched presentations on where tech is heading, most recently focused on AI’s transformation of the economy. His work is read by founders, investors, and operators trying to make sense of a noisy field. His most controversial opinion: AI is as big a deal as the internet or mobile—and only as big. In our in-depth conversation, we discuss: 1. Why we’re in “1997” for AI—early, exciting, and deeply uncertain about what comes next 2. Where value will actually accrue in the AI stack 3. The anti-AI backlash, and where it may lead 4. The surprising boom in consulting and professional services at AI companies 5. Why distribution is becoming the ultimate moat as software gets easier to build 6. Why the right question about your job isn’t “What percent can AI do?” but “Is this a task or a job?” 7. Why things will probably be okay—and what you need to do to prepare — Brought to you by: WorkOS —Make your app enterprise-ready, with SSO, SCIM, RBAC, and more…
People in this episode
Host: Lenny Rachitsky
Guest: Benedict Evans
Topics covered
- AI trends
- technology transformation
- economic impact of AI
- consulting in AI
- AI backlash
- software distribution
Keywords
- AI
- technology trends
- economic transformation
- consulting services
- software distribution
- job automation
Sponsors
WorkOS, Vanta
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Andreessen Horowitz
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