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Home > a16z Podcast > The Future of Software Development - Vibe Coding, Prompt Engineering & AI Assistants


	Podcast:		a16z Podcast
	Episode:		The Future of Software Development - Vibe Coding, Prompt Engineering & AI Assistants
	Category:		Technology
	Duration:		00:44:23
	Publish Date:		2025-07-21 10:00:00
	Description:		Is AI the Fourth Pillar of Infrastructure? Infrastructure doesn’t go away — it layers. And today, AI is emerging as a new foundational layer alongside compute, storage, and networking. Erik Torenberg interviews a16z’s Martin Casado, Jennifer Li, and Matt Bornstein breaking down how infrastructure is evolving in the age of AI — from models and agents to developer tools and shifting user behavior. We dive into what infra actually means today, how it differs from enterprise, and why software itself is being disrupted. Plus, we explore the rise of technical users as buyers, what makes infra companies defensible, and how past waves — from the cloud to COVID to AI — are reshaping how we build and invest. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:49 Defining Infrastructure in the AI Era 03:15 The Fourth Pillar: AI's Role in Infrastructure 06:01 Historical Context and Evolution of Infrastructure 08:20 The Impact of AI on Software Development 10:18 Investment Strategies and Market Dynamics 17:02 Developer Tools and AI Integration 20:57 Defensibility in the AI Landscape 22:16 Founders' Intuition and Industry Progress 22:26 Defensibility in AI Infrastructure 24:00 Expansion and Contraction Phases in the Industry 24:35 The Role of Layers in Market Consolidation 27:43 The Future of AI Models and Specialization 29:27 The Decade of AI Agents 29:54 Context Engineering and New Infrastructure 34:23 The Evolution of Software Development 42:13 Horizontal vs. Vertical Integration in AI 43:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Resources: Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Find Jennifer on X: https://x.com/JenniferHli Find Matt on X: https://x.com/BornsteinMatt 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.
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