This week on the pod, we’re talking about whether the little guys can actually compete with Big Tech in the AI race. Harry Godfrey, Executive Director of the Little Tech Association, joins us to talk about the advantages smaller AI companies have, whether smaller language models can level the playing field, and whether AI is really lowering the barriers to entry or just shifting where the barriers exist. We also get into a bigger question: if the platforms hosting these startups can see what’s succeeding, should they be allowed to build competing products? Plus, we talk AI startup acquisitions, Chinese open-weight models, national security, and what Harry would do with $10 million to build an AI company from scratch.

Harry Godfrey, Executive Director of the Little Tech Association. He is a Washington veteran who previously served in the office of the Majority Whip, James Clyburn, and the White House Office of Legislative Affairs during the Obama Administration. He spent over a decade working on state and federal policy with disruptive clean tech firms, most recently as Managing Director for Federal Affairs at the trade association Advanced Energy United. He is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and Princeton University.