The a16z Show

AI Can Write Code. Why Isn’t Software Better?

Episode Summary

a16z’s Ben Horowitz and Martin Casado sit down with TypeSafe AI founder Diogo Almeida to ask a simple question: AI has become remarkably capable, so where is all the automation? Diogo argues that coding agents may help us write software faster, but the software they produce still largely works the way software always has. TypeSafe is taking a different approach with Jev: putting intelligence inside software itself, so developers can build programs that reason about intent and make probabilistic decisions rather than simply generate text for a human to interpret. They discuss why reliability is the key to making AI genuinely programmable, how this could open a new era of probabilistic software, and why established SaaS companies may be particularly well positioned to benefit. Ultimately, Diogo’s goal is straightforward: technology that can reliably “do what I mean.”

Episode Notes

a16z’s Ben Horowitz and Martin Casado sit down with TypeSafe AI founder Diogo Almeida to ask a simple question: AI has become remarkably capable, so where is all the automation?

Diogo argues that coding agents may help us write software faster, but the software they produce still largely works the way software always has. TypeSafe is taking a different approach with Jev: putting intelligence inside software itself, so developers can build programs that reason about intent and make probabilistic decisions rather than simply generate text for a human to interpret.

They discuss why reliability is the key to making AI genuinely programmable, how this could open a new era of probabilistic software, and why established SaaS companies may be particularly well positioned to benefit. Ultimately, Diogo’s goal is straightforward: technology that can reliably “do what I mean.”