The AI Intelligence Tsunami Is Here
The AI Intelligence Tsunami Is Here
Podcast1 hr 11 min
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider reducing exposure to traditional SaaS companies like Dropbox (DBX) and advertising giants like Google (GOOGL), as their business models are directly threatened by AI agents within the next year. The current AI hardware boom benefiting NVIDIA (NVDA) may peak within the next 12-18 months, warranting caution on long-term growth expectations. A major long-term opportunity exists in blockchain, as platforms like Solana (SOL) are positioned to become the essential payment rails for the emerging AI agent economy. Over the next 3-5 years, the most profitable investments may be in the robotics supply chain, which is the primary bottleneck to scaling production. This economic restructuring suggests investors should prioritize companies building core AI infrastructure over those whose intermediary business models are becoming obsolete.

Detailed Analysis

AI as an Investment Theme

  • The discussion frames Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the most exponential technology adoption in history, following Reid's Law (Metcalfe's Law squared).
  • The cost of intelligence is collapsing exponentially. It's predicted that the price of top AI models could drop by 100x or more by the end of next year.
  • The concept of "Actually Competent Intelligence" (ACI) is introduced, suggesting that AI has reached a point where it can reliably get most economic tasks done, which will disrupt many industries.
  • The rise of AI agents is a central theme. These are autonomous programs that can run businesses, manage tasks, and communicate with each other, dramatically increasing "intelligence velocity" in the economy.
  • It's predicted that by the end of the year, AI models will have saturated all benchmarks, meaning they will be able to outperform humans in virtually all standardized tests and tasks, including coding and super-forecasting.

Takeaways

  • The primary investment thesis is that AI will fundamentally restructure the entire economy. The focus should shift to identifying companies that are either building the core AI infrastructure or are best positioned to serve an economy dominated by AI agents.
  • The value is not just in the "smartest" frontier models, but in the widespread deployment of "good enough" AI that can automate the majority of economic tasks at near-zero cost.
  • Investors should be prepared for a period of massive disruption, described as potentially similar to 1929, where many established companies fail because their business models become obsolete.

SaaS (Software as a Service) Sector

  • The podcast presents a very bearish view on the traditional SaaS sector.
  • Companies like Dropbox (DBX), DocuSign (DOCU), and Canva are mentioned as examples of businesses whose moats are in danger.
  • The core risk is that AI agents will eliminate switching costs. An agent can be tasked to move a user's entire data and workflow from one service (e.g., Dropbox) to another (e.g., Google Drive) overnight, with no human effort.
  • The speaker states, "SaaS companies are going to get eaten," and "the margins and the profitability of these software companies... All of them will go."

Takeaways

  • This is a significant long-term risk for investors in the SaaS space. The traditional moats of user lock-in and high switching costs are being directly threatened by AI.
  • Re-evaluate holdings in SaaS companies whose primary value proposition is acting as a simple digital intermediary or data repository.
  • The companies most at risk are those that do not deeply integrate advanced AI capabilities into their core product to create new, defensible value.

AI Hardware Sector (NVIDIA, TSM)

  • The massive hardware build-out for data centers and AI is acknowledged, which has benefited companies like NVIDIA (NVDA) and TSMC (TSM).
  • However, the speaker believes this intense build-out phase "has another year."
  • After that, a slowdown is possible due to two factors:
    • Massive efficiency gains in AI models and compute, meaning less hardware is needed for the same level of performance.
    • The rise of edge computing, where capable AI models can run on consumer devices (like a Mac Studio or even a phone), reducing reliance on massive, centralized data centers.
  • The speaker questions if the growth can continue, stating, "you don't get the endless build-out because we're not smart enough to use all the tokens and massive efficiencies are coming."

Takeaways

  • The current boom in AI hardware may be more cyclical than a perpetual growth story. The timeline mentioned suggests the peak of the build-out cycle could be within the next 12-18 months.
  • Investors should be cautious about the long-term multiples of hardware companies, as future demand may not continue at the same exponential rate seen recently.
  • A potential market downturn or "god-awful market crash" is mentioned as a possibility on the other side of this build-out, as the economy struggles to adapt to the AI disruption.

Blockchain & Cryptocurrency (BTC, ETH, SOL)

  • A major bullish case is made for blockchain as the financial rails for the emerging "agent economy."
  • As billions of AI agents begin transacting with each other for data, services, and compute, they will need a native, digital, and trustless payment system.
  • This is expected to cause a massive increase in the velocity of money (MV=PQ), as agents can transact instantly and continuously, unlike humans.
  • The speaker predicts, "Agents will drive more of the economy than humans" within five years, and the end customer for many businesses will become the agent itself.
  • Specific ecosystems are mentioned as being positioned for this, including Stripe's Tempo chain, Base (X402), and Solana (A402), which are described as "instantaneous payments, settlement rail for agents."
  • Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) are also mentioned in the ads as assets you can borrow against, indicating their status as high-quality collateral in the digital asset space.

Takeaways

  • The integration of AI and crypto is presented as a powerful, long-term investment theme. The "Total Addressable Market" (TAM) for crypto could be far larger than human-only models predict.
  • Investors should look for blockchain platforms that are optimized for high throughput, low transaction costs, and developer-friendliness, as these are the features AI agents will prioritize.
  • The argument is that agents are not "tribal" and will simply use the most efficient rail, creating a competitive environment where the best technology wins.

Robotics Sector

  • The next phase of AI is embedding these powerful intelligence models into physical robots.
  • A key insight is that the primary bottleneck for robotic adoption is not the AI brain but the physical supply chain to manufacture the robots. "You can't build enough robots."
  • The cost of a humanoid robot is already falling to around $10,000, and once the design is finalized, it becomes a commodity constrained by manufacturing capacity.
  • The speaker suggests there is a significant investment opportunity in the robotic supply chain right now, as this is where excess profits will accrue during the ramp-up phase.
  • These robots will have "economies of scope," meaning they can be trained once and then perform a vast array of tasks, from folding laundry to performing open-heart surgery, with the same hardware.

Takeaways

  • The most immediate and profitable way to invest in the coming robotics wave may not be in the final robot assemblers, but in the companies that provide the critical components and manufacturing capabilities.
  • This is a 3-5 year theme, as it will take time for the physical supply chains to scale to meet the enormous potential demand.

Advertising Sector (Google, Meta)

  • A contrarian, bearish view is presented for major advertising companies like Google (GOOGL) and Meta (META).
  • The thesis is that ad spending could top out next year.
  • This is because AI agents will become the primary interface for users. Instead of a user searching on Google, their personal AI agent will find the information for them, disintermediating the ad platform.
  • This breaks the advertising model and removes the pricing power (CPMs) that these companies currently enjoy.

Takeaways

  • Investors in large-cap tech stocks that rely heavily on advertising revenue should monitor this trend closely.
  • The rise of personal AI agents (like ChatGPT, Claude, and others) represents a direct threat to the business models of Google and Meta.
  • Look for signs of slowing ad revenue or commentary from these companies on how they plan to adapt to a world where their primary customer is an AI agent, not a human.
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Episode Description
Raoul welcomes back Emad Mostaque, Founder and CEO of Intelligent Internet, to catch up on the latest developments regarding AI and what it all means for the future of the global economy. Recorded on February 20, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
About Raoul Pal: The Journey Man
Raoul Pal: The Journey Man

Raoul Pal: The Journey Man

By Real Vision Podcast Network

The world is changing faster than ever before. This comes with life-changing opportunities but also unprecedented challenges. In The Journeyman, I talk to the greatest minds at the nexus of macro, crypto, and technology to figure out exactly what the Exponential Age means for us all. I uncover the big trends, potential investment opportunities, and economic risks and rewards, and ask the big questions on how this impacts us, our businesses, and our societies. Brought to you by Real Vision.