E68: Chinese Free Trade, AI Managers, and Why AI Art is Art

"The Riff" with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg

This week, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg discuss the transformative impact of technological change on global trade, AI’s disruption of senior roles, the debate over AI-generated art, and market dynamics—particularly in live entertainment ticketing—offering a wide-ranging and thought-provoking discussion.

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Highlights from the Episode:

• US-China Trade Relations: There's an interesting role reversal where China is now championing free trade while the US has become more protectionist.
• China's Economic Challenges: Demographics are a crucial factor affecting China's economy - an aging population creates financial imbalances.
• AI's Impact on Work Hierarchy: Contrary to common assumptions, AI might replace senior rather than junior roles. While AI isn't a perfect substitute for mentorship, it provides "synthetic wisdom" without requiring equity stakes.
• StubHub and Pricing Dynamics: Entertainment businesses operate as "stacks of monopolies" (artists, venues) monetizing layers of perfect competition.
• AI-Generated Art ("Ghibli-fication"): The massive popularity of Studio Ghibli-style AI image generation demonstrated unexpected demand for AI services.

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co

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https://twitter.com/ByrneHobart (Byrne)

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