2024 Big Ideas: Voice-First Apps, AI Moats, Never-Ending Games, and Anime Takes Off

Voice-First Apps, AI Moats, Never-Ending Games, and Anime. We asked over 40 partners across a16z to preview one big idea they believe will drive innovation in 2024.

Here in our 3-part series, you’ll hear directly from partners across all our verticals, as we dive even more deeply into these ideas. What’s the why now? Who is already building in these spaces? What opportunities and challenges are on the horizon? And how can you get involved?

Timecodes:

00:00 - Big Ideas in Tech 2024

01:39 - Big Idea: Voice-First Apps Will Become Integral to Our Lives

04:14 - The limiting factors of voice technology

05:27 - What would a voice-first app look like? 

06:52 - Voice tech for companionship and productivity 

08:05 - The primary modality voice applications

10:08 - How builders and founders can integrate voice technology

13:31 - Big Idea: The Consumer AI Battleground Moves from Model to UX

15:49 - How user experience can contribute toward building a moat

17:57 - The commoditization of models

19:55 - How should builders differentiate between model and experience?

22:58 - Breakout examples for 2024

25:10 - Open source vs closed source

26:44 - The impact of applications splitting from the infrastructure layer

28:14 - Big Idea: AI-First Games That Never End

29:59 -Generative AI in gaming and AI native games

31:12 - Introducing generative agents as game companions 

33:57 - Does the gaming community want hyper personalization?

38:00 - New entrants vs the incumbents

41:57 - How business models and cost structures are evolving

46:21 - Advice for game builders in 2024

48:03 - Big Idea: Anime Games Go Mainstream

49:28 - What defines anime?

52:05 - Anime’s monetization strategy and how it differs from other genres

54:04 - Why are we seeing a rise in anime?

55:56 - What is required to be successful in anime

58:20 - AI, XR and inventing the next wave of anime

Resources:

View all 40+ big ideas: https://a16z.com/bigideas2024

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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.